Calgary florists don't need gold medals to provide outstanding flower delivery.
Named Ft. Calgary by the first settlers in 1873, the city dropped the Ft. and became known simply as Calgary when incorporated in 1894. In stark contracts to its early days, Calgary, Alberta now boasts a population of over 1 million people in the greater metropolitan area.
The city saw most of its growth with the discovery of oil. Although first discovered in 1902, the industry didn't take off until large reserves were discovered in the mid 1900's. The city's economy is still mostly driven by the petroleum industry; however high tech, agriculture and tourism also play significant roles.
Calgary was the first Canadian city to host the Olympic winter games in 1988 which served to put Calgary on the map as a prime destination for winter sports. Tourists can visit the Telus World of Science, the Calgary Zoo or one several parks throughout the city.
In addition to the many outdoor green spaces, Devonian Gardens one of the more unique places to see flowers in Calgary. The garden is one of the largest indoor parks in the world and covers 2.5 acres. There are 1.6 km's of walkways across the garden's three levels showcasing some of the most beautiful flowers in Calgary, alongside plants, ponds and fountains. This indoor Calgary flower, plant and tree garden contains over 20,000 plants and also houses a permanent exhibit space for local artists. Tourists are not the only ones who visit the gardens. Local residents including Calgary florists come to take in the beauty and draw inspiration.
Perhaps the biggest tourist attraction for the city is the world famous Calgary Stampede and is yet another opportunity for Calgary flower lovers to get their fill of some of the most beautiful flowers in Calgary. The city plants over 32,000 flowers in Calgary's stampede park each year. The 10 day event once stood alone but combined with the Calgary Industrial Exhibition in 1923, and has steadily grown ever since. The event includes a midway, concerts, stage and agricultural shows and of course, the rodeo and draws close to one million visitors annually. The stampede starts off with a parade, the first of which took place in 1912 in front of 75,000 spectators which was more than the city's entire population at the time. It has now grown in to an extravaganza of over 170 floats, marching bands, native dancers, and more than 350,000 people now come out to watch the parade. Calgary flower growers are certainly busy leading up to the parade as these are a favorite float decoration. Calgary flower farmers also take part in the agriculture portion of the stampede which the organizers work to maintain as it was originally started as a means to support local agriculture. The event bills itself as the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" and is one of many reasons to add Calgary to your list of places to visit.
Calgary Sights and Sounds
- Heritage Park - historical theme park
- Calgary Zoo - home to Kamala the painting elephant
- Spruce Meadows - equestrian trails
- Canada Olympic Park - site of 1988 Olympics
- Glenbow Museum
- Calgary Tower
You can also rely on Edmonton florists or flower shops in Ponoka to send flowers to Calgary.
The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.
- Tennessee Williams