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An understatement, as the whole city of Victoria, BC, looks almost like a botanical garden.
Spring starts here in February, and snow is very rare. This winter, not even a single flake. Blooming cherry trees can be admired without large crowds, unlike in Japan.
Every year, I spend the early spring weeks between February and April here to enjoy the blooms, while in other parts of North America, snow covers the soil, and it often takes until May before the first blooms appear.
Victoria is called the Garden City because of its unique climate.
The city is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Salish Sea, and protected by mountains. This gives it the mildest climate in all of Canada. All the photos in this article were taken in March of this year.
The garden cities' nickname has roots going back to the early 1900s, tied closely to the city’s British heritage. Early settlers brought their love of English gardens, and over time, that love turned into a full-on obsession with flowers and greenery. Generations later, that same spirit lives on in parks, in neighbourhoods, and even in how homes and public spaces are designed.
Several small botanical gardens, such as the Botanical Gardens at HCP on Quayle Road in Victoria, invite visitors.
But there are free public gardens where Azaleas, Rhododendron, Cherry and Plum trees, Daffodils and Tulips are blooming too:
Beacon Hill Park on Cook Street,
Governor's House Garden on Rockland Ave
Finnerty Gardens on Cedar Hill Cross Rd, near Uni of Victoria,
Abkhazi Garden on Beach Dr
These are among the best gardens in the city.
However, walking through the Rockland area, east of the Craigdarroch Castle, especially on Pemberton and St. Charles St, one can admire beautiful gardens next to posh villas.
Flower Baskets All Over Downtown
Over 1,000 baskets go up each year, filled with bright blooms that add colour and charm to every street in the downtown area and beyond.
Garden Tours
Explore nine stunning private gardens on Mother’s Day across Greater Victoria, each alive with spring blooms and featuring live performances by talented students and faculty from the Victoria Conservatory. https://vcm.bc.ca/support/garden-tour/
Another option is the garden tour on June 14, which will feature 10-12 unique gardens clustered throughout the Braefoot, University Heights, Tattersall, and Jubilee neighbourhoods, plus a few bonus stops along the way.
Victoria is called the Garden City for many good reasons. Its mild climate, world-famous gardens, and beautiful public spaces - all make it a city filled with flowers, trees, and green beauty. The name isn’t just a nickname; it’s a way of life and a paradise for plant lovers. .
Finally, Winter is behind us. April is packed with celebrations ranging from environmental awareness and cultural heritage to fun event days. Key highlights include Earth Day, Easter, and National Poetry Month.
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How to Get Into the Freelance Market
What else, beyond the quality of writing, convinces the editor to give that coveted “go-ahead”? “If you want to SELL, learn to give the editor what he wants.”
Writer’s Guidelines Naturally, writers need to familiarize themselves with writers’ guidelines to learn which articles the editors welcome (and especially what articles they turn down!). Usually, this information is located on the webpages such as “Submission Guidelines,” “For Authors,” “Write for Us,” or “Contact Us.”
What if there are no writer’s guidelines on the publication’s site? Unfortunately, this is often the case with “glossies.” Roy Stevenson (author and travel writer) shares, “You have to fly blind and send a query that you think is appropriate for the magazine’s voice and article length, etc.” Reading several recent issues of your targeted publication is indispensable.
Esses Magazine Esses pays $0.50 — $1.25/word, a publication that publishes stories about the people and lifestyle of Grand Prix racing. Covers Formula 1 culture, motorsport, art, fashion, travel, and related topics through written articles, photography, illustrations, and quarterly magazine issues. Submit to joseph@essesmag.com or jbienkahn@gmail.com
Refinery29 Refinery29’s mission is to help women see, feel, and claim their power. Shine a spotlight on the Canadian stories and issues that resonate with our Gen-Z and millennial audience. They publish personal essays to reported trend pieces to features on race, reproductive rights, and pop culture. Prefer a strong Canadian angle. Pays $150-$350.
Mental Floss Features can be short (500 words) or longer (800–1500 words). Pays $150 for lists, $125-$200 for features. Looking for voices to write about the diverse verticals, whether that’s history, science, entertainment, language, pop culture, art, or beyond.
ELLE Looking for freelance writers to contribute to the culture section’s main verticals: Movies & TV, Music, Books, and Theater & Arts. Submit information in the online form, and an editor will reach out should there be a fitting opportunity. Rates are $250 and up.
Fractured Lit Fractured Lit is open year-round and is available to all writers. We currently publish microfiction (up to 400 words) and flash fiction (401–1,000 words), with new writing featured on Mondays and Thursdays. We also offer contests throughout the year. We pay our authors $50 for original micro fiction and $75 for original flash fiction.
DIEM They are starting a new project: publishing essays from a diverse set of writers twice a month. Most of the work they publish is through a feminist lens. Think of [Diem](https://www.askdiem.com/) as a reimagined Reddit or Quora, inspired by the way women already communicate. The Things We Don’t Talk About. You’ll reach an audience of over 50,000+, who are generally interested in topics having to do with gender, power, and technology. Rates for Diem stories start at $200, and the majority of commissioned stories hit the 700-word mark unless otherwise specified.
Green European Journal The Green European Journal is Europe’s leading political ecology magazine. We stand for an open, sustainable, just, and feminist Europe. A pitch is a short proposal that shouldn’t be longer than 400 words. The articles we publish are typically between 1800 and 2500 words. Rates are usually €300 to €400 per article. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/get-involved/
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FELLOWSHIPS — GRANTS — RESIDENCIES
Sports Writing Residency Two-week residency encourages the exploration of new ideas in sports writing. This program is open to fiction and non-fiction writers, journalists, freelance critics or curators, artists, and academics, with an emphasis on those who can write for a lay audience with logic, vigour, and charm. Location Banff, Alberta, Canada. DeadlineApril 8.
For those writing a work of fiction or creative non-fiction in which science and its practitioners play a major role, needs a considerable amount of background research. In this project, we award selected authors fellowships to work on science novels. Residency duration is three to ten months. Pay is a monthly stipend (up to €2,500/month) and travel expenses, plus free accommodation. Deadline May 15.
Editorial writing. Established to enable a mid-career editorial writer or columnist to have time away from daily responsibilities for study and research. Freelancers may also apply. Up to$100,000.Deadline: April 20
Mass MoCA Fellowships Anyone who wishes to can apply for one of these fellowships, regardless of discipline or location. The fellowship funds all residency fees for up to four weeks in residence. To apply, select the appropriate box on the fellowships question of the general Studios residency application. There is no separate application for this opportunity. All applicants must first be accepted through the regular jurying process to receive this fellowship. Location Boston.
Rewire News Rewire News Group is an independent nonprofit newsroom and the only national publication exclusively dedicated to expert reporting on the full spectrum of reproductive and sexual health, rights, and justice. All pitches must go through the pitch portal on the website, even for writers with an established relationship with RNG. Pays $350–500.
Offrange Offrange exists first for farmers, ranchers, and other food producers. We take their concerns and experiences as our starting point, but we also hope to tell their stories to anyone who cares where their food comes from. Farming and ranching are our primary focus, but Offrange also publishes stories about fisheries, meat production, natural resources, and public lands. Rates will vary depending on writer experience and the complexity of a particular story, but generally fall between $0.50 and $1.00 a word.
The Black Light The Blacklight, the NY Amsterdam News’ investigative unit, is looking for experienced freelance journalists. They primarily work with journalists based in the NYC area, but are also open to pitches from journalists based outside the region. Fact Checks — $250+, 500–1000 words, 1–2 interviews, 1–2 days of research. Medium-length articles — $1 a word, 800–1500 words, 2–4 interviews, research 2–5 days. Long form Articles — $2 a word or flat commission fee, 1500+words, 4+ interviews, 5+ days of research. Data Visualizations $250-$500+ per piece, 1–3 days of work, may or may not require data cleaning.
Epic Magazine Epic writers travel the world searching for encounters with the unknown. Wartime romance, unlikely savants, deranged detectives, gentlemen thieves, and love-struck killers: stories that tap into the thrill of being alive. Epic publishes extraordinary true stories that get noticed. More than 50 of our articles have been optioned by Hollywood, including Argo, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the 2023 Sundance winner Radical. Pays $1–2/word. Word count 5,000 to 6,000 words.
Miami Book Fair Emerging Writer Fellowships Designed as a 12-month, career-launching experience, the program provides exceptional emerging writers with a $50,000 stipend, professional development opportunities, including teaching creative writing, and sustained engagement within a vibrant literary ecosystem. The Emerging Writer Fellowship for Prose, open to fiction and nonfiction writers, and the Mindich Fellowship for Jewish Fiction. Must have a book-length project to complete during the fellowship year. Deadline April 30.
Florida Review Editor’s Prize Editor’s Prizes in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry. Each winner receives publication in The Florida Review and $1,000 upon publication. Entry fee includes subscription to The Florida Review. Prose limited to 9,000 words. Poetry limited to five poems. $25 ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 15.
The Desperate Literature Prize for Short Fiction First Prize €2,000, a week’s residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, a consultation with Literary Agent Charlotte Seymour from Johnson & Alcock, and a manuscript assessment with The Literary Consultancy. Runner-up Prizes €1,000 (two prizes available). Shortlisted will be published in a limited edition book and launched at the Desperate Literature Short Fiction Prize Salon, Madrid. Limit 2000 words of fiction. €20 Entry Fee. DeadlineApril 19.
Submit your best creative nonfiction, 1,000 words or fewer, for a chance to win $1,175 in prizes. You can write about any topic, as long as it’s nonfiction. Deadline April 30.
Writer’s Online Action Prize Win a whopping £1,000 for short fiction in any style and on any theme, up to 2,000 words. £17.50 Entry Fee. Deadline June 30
Mark Your Calendar Did you know Saturday, April 26th, is Indie Bookstore Day?
This national one-day party held on the last Saturday in April celebrates independent bookstores across the country, online and in-store. Through exclusive books and literary items, contests, cupcakes, and everything in between, it’s a party you don’t want to miss!
