Victoria Smells Blooming Wonderful at this Time of Year!

3.4 billion flower blossoms are not to be sniffed at!
 
But that’s exactly what’s filling the air in Victoria at this time of year.
 
The 2018 Flower Count took place last weekend and some 3.4 billion blossoms were counted. Well, 3,467,394,781 exacty!
 
The winner of “Bloomingest” community this year was Colwood, with a winning total of 2,029,598,802
blossoms. This is the fifth straight year Colwood has won the Victoria Flower Count.
 
The runner-up community this year is Saanich, with some 721,903,164 blossoms counted.
 
“Colwood is proud to take top prize in the 43rd annual Victoria Flower Count,” said City of Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton. “Colwood residents and students have fun with this lighthearted activity that showcases the many naturally beautiful areas Colwood is known for.”
 
There are lots of places to stop and smell the flowers in Victoria, but one of the most impressive has to be Butchart Gardens. At this time of year the flowers there burst forth in a show of unparalleled beauty.
 
In April the results of the fall planting of more than 300,000 bulbs reach their height. First, the gold of narcissus and daffodils appear; then a riot of colour from the beds of tulips take over. Flowering cherries and plums, crabapples and some 30 species of other flowering shrubs then join in.

In May, Siberian wallflowers and forget-me-nots supply both scent and colour, and the rare Handkerchief tree - davidia involucrata is at its peak. Cinerarias are being planted out with gloriously coloured blooms, and schizanthus in the multitude of hanging baskets comes onto the scene.
 
So, take the time to stop and smell the flowers in Victoria this spring. Book yourself a break at the stylish Best Western PLUS Carlton Plaza, a AAA Three Diamond heritage hotels that’s just a short stroll from the city’s gorgeous Inner Harbour and the Legislature Buildings.