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Flower Count
Mon Mar 03, 2003
Listen in RealAudio 
It's early March, and most of Canada and the northern United States still lie buried under
snow and ice. But on Canada's West Coast, Victoria residents are completing an annual census:
counting flower blossoms.
For a week, Victorians bend over crocus, daffodil and tulip beds and stretch their necks into
budding trees, tally sheets in hand, counting all the blossoms they find. Why? To brag, nay,
to gloat; a tongue-in-cheek reminder to the rest of Canada that winter exits gently and spring
comes early on Vancouver Island.
Victoria's Flower Count has roots in the late 1960s, with a Chamber of Commerce "Victorian
Days" promotion. Members wearing Victorian-era costumes descended on shivering Canadian cities
such as Edmonton and Winnipeg during February, dispersing fresh, Victoria-grown daffodils to
the public, radio stations and news organizations to promote snow-free winter tourism. By
involving residents in 1976, the event created a great promotional opportunity: while
Victorians counted flowers and blossoms, most Canadians were counting snowflakes and windchill
degrees.
The Flower Count has become an annual promotion and community fundraiser, bringing
international attention to "The City of Gardens," as Victoria is known.
Spring enters Victoria in February, when temperatures often reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit. A
full month before Spring Equinox, the city is awash in blooming bulbs and bursting fruit
blossoms.
In 2002, balmy Victoria tallied over 11 billion blossoms. With El Niņo's 2003
appearance, the count could be higher.
Our program is produced by the Mount Washington Observatory, with support from Subaru and The
National Science Foundation. Follow The Weather Notebook's Cross-Country tour at
www.weathernotebook.org.
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