Colourful countdown in British Columbia

The people of Victoria, British Columbia, on Canada's west coast, will spend a week of this month counting the flowers in their gardens and parks.

They hope to reach a total of at least four billion to eclipse last year's 3,923,384,760. The 25th Annual Flower Count, from February 19 to 24, involves thousands of residents raising awareness of Victoria's mild winter climate while they raise money for hospices.