BOTANICAL JEWEL VICTORIA COAXES VISITORS OUT OF DOORS WITH AN ONGOING GARDEN PARTY.

Byline: Story and photos by Eric Noland Travel Editor

VICTORIA, British Columbia - If ever a city could be characterized as a great, living bouquet, it is this one.

Flowers are everywhere - in formal gardens, public parks, residential yards, greenhouses. They even spill from pots mounted to the sides of lampposts along city streets.

Victoria, a provincial capital at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, seems to have developed a personality to match. It is a glistening city, like a blossom radiant in the sun after a spring shower.

History and freakish weather contributed to this.

The city was established as a trading outpost of the Hudson Bay Co. in the 1840s. Settlers gravitated to this far-flung corner of the British Empire, and it's certainly no secret how Britons just love their gardens.

Climate gave the effort an enormous boost, too. Though it lies far to the north of Minneapolis, Toronto and Buffalo, N.Y., Victoria has been blessed with remarkably gentle weather. Its daily average temperature in December, January and February is well above freezing, with only the occasional dusting of snow. Frosts occur in only a couple of winter months, and spring comes early.

``The main reason we have a mild climate has to do with our proximity to the ocean,'' said Greg Flato, a research scientist for the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis at the University of Victoria. ``The ocean carries heat northward along the coast from the tropics to the higher latitudes. And our predominant weather is from the Pacific onshore, so we get air that is more or less the temperature of the ocean.''

Gardeners are the beneficiaries. They plant seeds and bulbs and cuttings, then stand back and wait for the show.

Victoria is a city in which you'll want to get out of doors. (Even the rainfall is significantly lower here than in Seattle and Vancouver to the east, because those cities are wedged up against coastal mountain ranges, according to Flato.) It is well-suited to walking, bicycling or hopping one of the toylike ferries that ply the Inner Harbour.

It's a good idea not to plan too rigidly, though. I arrived in the fall intending to make a run up to the famed Butchart Gardens - with every other tourist in town - and also to hop a bike for a ride on the Galloping Goose Trail, a car-free path covering 40 miles of an abandoned railroad bed west of the city.

But locals raised eyebrows at my plans, and gently suggested alternatives. Beacon Hill Park is a beautiful city reserve, they said, infinitely less touristy than Butchart. And the Galloping Goose Trail, while well suited to fitness freaks and two-wheeled commuters, passes through industrial areas and isn't particularly scenic; roads along the southern bluffs were much better options.

The assessment of the Butchart Gardens seemed a little harsh - it remained firmly in the plans - but the detour was still a good call. The best news of all: It's possible to enjoy both the park and the pedaling on a single excursion.

It means riding on city streets, the thought of which was initially daunting. Fears were quickly put to rest, however. Unlike in California, where drivers seem to relish a cat-and-mouse game with bicyclists, motorists in Victoria were found to be scrupulously polite. I paused to rest at one intersection and soon noticed that a driver had been stopped for several seconds, patiently waving at me to cross in front of him.

Beacon Hill Park lies directly south of the city center, and it is a wondrous urban oasis of 200 acres. Climb over a hill into its midst and sounds of the city abruptly disappear in a world of lily ponds, stone bridges, mature oak trees, fountains, expansive stretches of lawn and, yes, of course, rich beds of flowers.

There's a lot going on here: croquet, a putting green, a band shell, a petting zoo. But, if you wish, there can also be very little going on. I encountered an elderly couple sitting quietly on a bench at the edge of Goodacre Lake, which is a wild bird sanctuary. Not 10 feet away was a great blue heron, standing unperturbed at the edge of the water. Also nearby were Canada honking geese, as tame as sea gulls on a California beach. For many minutes, none of us was in a hurry to go anywhere.

Beacon Hill Park spreads to Dallas Road, a scenic drive that bends, rises and falls with the contours of the coastal bluffs at the south end of Victoria. Whether you're in a car, on a bike or on foot, this is a delightful route to traverse.

The view is across Juan de Fuca Strait to Washington's Olympic Peninsula - and the Olympic Mountains, if you're rewarded with a clear day. Stick to the bluff edge as the road repeatedly changes names - Hollywood, Crescent, King George, Beach - to the community of Oak Bay, where the humps of the San Juan Islands lie across the Haro Strait. If you're on a bike, you'll be guided by yellow signs that read, ``Seaside Touring Route.''

The outing provides an impression of Victoria and its suburbs beyond the standard tourist attractions.

On my ride, I came upon dozens of small, bluff-top parks (at one, a dog trainer was putting his charges through their paces). There were several rocky beaches, strewn with driftwood, as well as golf courses, marinas and small war memorials. But also appealing were the well-kept neighborhoods - notably that of Oak Bay, which could be described as British Columbia's La Jolla, but without the ostentatious homes.

Streets were overhung with canopies of shady maple trees, and most of the small, cottage-style homes had robust side and rear gardens, immaculately kept.

A particular horticultural bonus was found at one point along the road. It was a wild blackberry bramble, growing unkempt across a steep slope. It was a pleasant place to pause to pick a dozen or so of the berries, which were soft, juicy and sweet.

After moments such at these, it can be difficult to return to the heart of the city, but Victoria stood ready to deliver some more pleasant surprises.

One was the James Bay Market. It is an open-air affair held each Saturday from May to October on a lawn that is literally in the shadow of the imposing Parliament Building.

The air was filled with the smell of fresh produce, including potted tomato plants - an odd sight in September. Also on display were crafts, honey, artisan bread and prepared food (notably Indian curries). A string duet performed such gentle pieces as ``Greensleeves'' and Beethoven's ``Minuet in G,'' and it was a pleasure to linger at a big-city market that was so simple, small-scale and devoid of bustle.

Just as enjoyable is hopping onto one of the Victoria Harbour Ferry boats favored by professionals who live west of the city, just across the water. The little craft look like something from a child's storybook, or floating in a toddler's bathtub - you half expect to see a face on the bow.

Catch one at the Inner Harbour landing, just across from the stately Fairmont Empress Hotel, for a ride over to Fisherman's Wharf. (Be sure to tell the operator where you're going, because the boats ply the harbor in both directions.)

Fisherman's Wharf is not something conceived as a tourist attraction. It really is a working fish landing, as was evident when a small boat tied up at the dock and a couple of young men began offloading fat, opaque halibut they'd pulled out of the ocean a few hours before.

Also moored to these docks are permanent residences - inventively designed houseboats reminiscent of Tom Hanks' digs in ``Sleepless in Seattle,'' with residents scurrying down gangplanks with sacks of groceries.

The real treat in visiting Fisherman's Wharf, however, is a platter of fish and chips at Barb's Place. It's a shack situated on the wharf, and it rolls with the harbor swells. Take your pick to complement the chips - cod, halibut, salmon, shrimp or oysters - and then find a seat at one of the picnic tables. If you ask for the grub to go, you'll get it wrapped in a newspaper.

Beyond the ferry boats and bicycles, Victoria can also be rewarding to a visitor on foot. Just a few blocks north of the city center is Chinatown, which is entered beneath an ornate arch, the Gate of Harmonious Interest.

Once through this, however, you might be perplexed. This is it? Chinatown is exactly one block long, with a couple of short tendrils extending off it.

It's an important statement about Victoria, though. The Chinese population was concentrated here in the late 1800s when immigrants poured in to work for the Brits on railroads and in mines. But a second wave of immigration from Asia began about 40 years ago, and this time the newcomers simply melted into Victoria's neighborhoods at large.

One novel aspect of Chinatown is Fan Tan Alley, a narrow passage between brick buildings, where little shops carry imports, clothing and musical instruments. The alley is so snug in places - a shade over 47 inches - that if two people meet from opposite directions, one has to turn sideways to let the other pass.

A nearby shop, Silk Road, carries a wide variety of loose teas, most kept in gleaming, stainless-steel tins. Samples are available for sniffing in small glass bottles, and salesgirls often dispense small cups of the daily brew - on my visit, a Chinese black tea laced with chocolate, which provided a nice jolt on a Saturday morning.

On other explorations, you might stumble upon Munro's Books, a store with several shelves devoted to Canadian history, art and political figures; Murchie's, which serves an impressive afternoon tea that is often missed by visitors flocking to the Empress' famed spread; the Blue Fox, a warm, sunny cafe renowned for its breakfast (a Canadian staple, smoked salmon Benedict, is on the menu, of course); and Cafe Brio, a charming restaurant with a regional-cuisine philosophy - which means plenty of selections from that big ocean to the west.

It's also essential to leave the city center to experience Victoria's renowned Butchart Gardens, 15 miles north of downtown.

It is manicured and tidy and caters shamelessly to tourists, with water fountain shows, fireworks and the like. But Butchart's 55 acres of horticulture are nonetheless a wonder, with a rose garden of varieties from eight countries, maple trees that glow with color in the fall, and flowers planted in bright swaths of purple and yellow.

Flower beds are changed twice a year - annuals planted in May, chrysanthemums in September - so that visitors will find plenty of blooms whenever they visit, part of a ``Victorian bedding-out system,'' said spokeswoman Kathy Allison.

The gardens came into being in the early 1900s after businessman Robert Pim Butchart had gouged tons of limestone out of the ground for use in a cement plant. Soon after he moved his family to a home near the site, his wife, Jennie, started planning a garden. And this, years of effort later, is the result.

She gazed on an unsightly gash in the earth and imagined only a glorious raiment of bright-colored blossoms.

It seems a universal compulsion in Victoria.

Eric Noland, [phone]

eric.noland(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE: Although some puddle-jump airlines will fly you into Victoria (with some seaplanes landing right in the Inner Harbour), the most common means of getting here is by ferry boat, either from Vancouver or Seattle. BC Ferries operates the ferry from Vancouver, which lands at Swartz Bay, a half-hour drive north of downtown. The ferry ride is mesmerizing as the boat picks its way through the Gulf Islands, traversing some channels as narrow as small rivers. BC Ferries: [phone]; www.bcferries.com. Links to all transportation options can be found at www.tourismvictoria.

BARB'S PLACE: Erie Street, Fisherman's Wharf. Open from March until October from 10 a.m. until dark. [phone]; www.bcexplore.com/barbs.htm.

BEACON HILL PARK: At the south end of the city, bordered by Douglas Street, Cook Street and Dallas Road. www.beaconhillpark.ca.

BLUE FOX: 919 Fort St. [phone]. Opens for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, 8-ish on Saturday and Sunday.

BUTCHART GARDENS: Hours vary radically throughout the year. During the summer (June 15 to Sept. 3) open from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Summer admission will be about $20 U.S. for adults, $10 for teens, $2.20 for children ages 5 to 12. Lower rates in fall and winter. www.butchartgardens.com; [phone].

CAFE BRIO: 944 Fort St. Open nightly for dinner from 5:30 p.m. on. [phone] or [phone].

CHINATOWN: At Government and Fisgard streets on the north end of downtown.

CYCLE BC RENTALS: 747 Douglas St. (directly behind the Fairmont Empress Hotel). Reasonable rates for bicycle rentals - about $17 U.S. for the day - which includes lock and helmet (the latter is compulsory in this city). [phone]; www.cyclebc.ca.

JAMES BAY MARKET: Held every Saturday (May 7 to Oct. 8) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of Superior and Menzies streets. www.jamesbaymarket.com.

MUNRO'S BOOKS: 1108 Government St. Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.munrobooks.com; [phone].

MURCHIE'S: 1110 Government St. Afternoon tea, served daily at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., costs about $22 U.S. Reservations: [phone]. Information: www.murchies.com; [phone].

SILK ROAD: 1624 Government St. [phone]; www.silkroadtea.com.

TOURISM VICTORIA: Official tourist agency, which has free brochures available for mailing, can be reached at [phone]; www.tourismvictoria.com.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- 3 -- color) Flower beds provide bright bands of color at Victoria's Butchart Gardens, top, where visitors descend into a former limestone quarry that has been gloriously transformed. Another urban escape is serene Beacon Hill Park, above, while visitors to Chinatown, left, may pick over the produce at sidewalk stands.

(4 -- 5) At the Inner Harbour of Victoria, British Columbia, left, the city's love for flowers is manifest in beds planted along the shore; a small neighborhood today, the city's Chinatown, above, was second in size only to San Francisco's when immigrant labor worked the railroads and mines in the 1800s.

(6) A fresh catch of halibut is a reminder that Fisherman's Wharf in Victoria is a work area first, tourist attraction second.

Eric Noland/Travel Editor

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IF YOU GO (see text)