Many of the formal structural elements and the trees in the Japanese garden date from its creation in 1910. Japanese landscape gardener Isaburo Kishida, of Yokohama, designed this garden. Kishida also created private gardens for several local residents, including the now famous Butchart Gardens. A tortoise-shaped island in a pond symbolizes 10,000 years of longevity, while two statues of cranes on a rocky islet represent 1000 years. The garden also includes other elements common to Japanese gardens such as a well, water bowl, stone lanterns and stone groupings.

The Italian garden was designed in 1913 for James and Laura Dunsmuir by the Boston landscape firm Brett and Hall. While its structure echoes the formality of Italian gardens, its first plantings reflected Laura Dunsmuir's favourite flowers rather than classical choices. A lovely wisteria in the garden's loggia is now over 90 years old. Among other original features are statues representing the four seasons; Pomona, Ceres, Flora and Hebe.

Also designed in 1913 by Brett and Hall, the structure of the Rose Garden reflects the romantic tastes of the Edwardian era. Many of the popular hybrid perpetuals and hybrid tea roses first planted did not prove to be hardy and only a few remain. A surviving American Pillar provided cuttings for some others now found in the garden. Other survivors from the original plants are Gruss and Teplitz and La France.  When the garden was renovated in 1997 a lawn, which had replaced some central planting beds earlier, was removed and modern roses donated by Brentwood Bay Nurseries were placed in this area instead. An orginal sundial and bench are still in the rose garden.