Greater Victoria Flower Count returns for 48th year

Some of Victoria's thousands of cherry blossom trees are blooming slightly early this year, Friday, Jan. 25, 2019. (CTV Vancouver Island)

The annual Greater Victoria Flower Count is returning for its 48th year this week.

Starting on March 8, participants can submit their flower count to the Greater Victoria Flower Count website.

The count wraps up on March 16, when one region will be named the "bloomingest" community after the final tallies are in.

Last year, the flower count totalled 27.9 billion flowers, according to the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, with the most "bloomingest" city being Colwood, with a total of 9.6 billion blooms.

The lighthearted flower count campaign began in the 1960s as a way to celebrate Victoria's relatively warm climate and early spring compared to other areas of Canada.

The founder of the flower count, Norma Fitzsimmons, died in the summer of 2020 at the age of 97.

She was born in Victoria in 1922, and worked as a florist before owning her own flower shop in 1957.

Her granddaughter, Sheri Bourrie, said flowers remained a lifelong passion for her grandmother, who always liked to help the community and promote Victoria, which is also known as the City of Gardens.

"I think the benefit of the flower count is the story it tells, and I think that's a lasting legacy that Norma Fitzsimmons has left for our community and I'm very grateful to her for that," said former Victoria mayor Lisa Helps in 2020.

With files from the Canadian Press.