80,000 daffodil bulbs have been planted across cemeteries around the city in the past two years to brighten up the areas for visitors and grieving families.

Belfast, Waimairi, Barbados, Sydenham and Lyttelton Catholic and Anglican cemeteries have all been the recipients of new bulbs as part of Christchurch City Council’s cemetery plantings.

Community Parks Manager Al Hardy said there had already been several compliments and positive feedback about the flowers popping up around Christchurch cemeteries.

“We had one visitor say that seeing the hundreds of flowering daffodils was wonderful and was a nice surprise, while another has said that it made the cemetery go from looking dilapidated to beautiful,” Mr Hardy said.

“We hope that the planting of these flowers will make people’s experience at our cemeteries a more positive one and something that puts a smile on their face as they walk through.” 

The daffodils are planted early in the year, so the buds are able to bloom from late winter to mid spring. Next year’s bulb planting will get under way in April and May and will include new sites in Bromley, Sydenham and Rutherford cemeteries.

Freesias, bluebells, white scented daffodils and yellow daffodils will be planted.