Wake up and smell the roses.
Heritage Roses Otago will be inviting members of the public to do exactly that this weekend as it celebrates the return of heritage roses to the Dunedin North Cemetery.
Disaster struck when more than 500 roses were sprayed with herbicide in 2016 and died as a result.
Heritage Roses Otago convener Fran Rawling said more than 400 of the roses had been replaced with the help of ‘‘hundreds of hours’’ of work, ‘‘it’s been a huge effort with finding, propagating and planting the roses’’.
The Dunedin City Council agreed to cover replacement costs and provide an annual grant for ongoing care.
The cemetery would be open for tours and presentations from 10am to 5pm this Saturday and Sunday.