Spring has sprung in Victoria but we might not want to tell the rest of Canada!

Spring has sprung in Victoria!

With sunshine, double-digit temperatures and lots of flowers and blossoms in bloom,

Cherry blossoms and plum blossoms are bursting into bloom, delicate little snowdrops are sprouting up and people are walking the Dallas Road waterfront in shorts and bare arms.

“Today is beautiful!” says Calgarian Melane Murchison. “It’s sunny, it’s warm. I don’t have a jacket on and we’ve been out here for hours.”

“Oh this is fantastic!” adds Brad Neill. “Typical spring — in February — you just can’t beat it. You can’t beat it!”

“I’m from Saskatchewan and this is way different,” Kat Tourond says. “Usually, it’s minus 30 to 40 right now and I can’t go outside.”

Even though spring is still officially a month away, spring blossoms are already out on Vancouver Island.

You see clearly buds swelling,” explains gardening expert Anne Grimes of the Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre in Saanich. “The fruit trees and shrubs are starting to swell so you know that’s a real signal.”

A signal winter is over. And that means garden stores on Vancouver Island are buzzing with activity.

“It does depend on the weather so a sunny day like this is good but the next couple weeks and on into Mach it just doesn’t stop,” Grimes says. “It’s solid.”

Victoria’s already had five days of double-digits highs this month with more to come and very little rain in the last 12 days.

It’s in stark contrast to the record-breaking rainfall at the beginning of the month.

Torrential rain and flooding, and four days of double digit rainfall — rare in February — came on the heels of the second-wettest January on record.

“It rained for about two and a half months and I couldn’t get out to fly anything or do any jobs,” says Brad Neill, who’s back to flying his drone this week.

But we might not want to brag to the rest of the country just yet.

“Don’t let them know!” says Wendy Rudd, laughing. “Don’t tell people back east! They’ll come here!”

After all, Victoria’s famous flower count is coming up March 4th and we probably don’t want to rub it in.

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