However, many in the nation's capital appear to be choosing the Wellington Botanic Garden.
The Dominion Post reported garden staff often had the upsetting task of removing ash, and small bone fragments, from rose beds because ash damaged the plants.
However, few cases of people scattering ashes in the Dunedin Botanic Garden have been reported.
Dunedin City Council botanic garden and cemeteries team leader Alan Matchett said there were occasional incidents of ash scattering in the garden but they were not frequent enough to be an issue.
While it was sometimes obvious where ashes had been scattered, and it was an "uncomfortable" thing for staff to encounter, no damage to plants had been noticed, he said.
Ash scattering in the garden was "discouraged" and people were informed of other options available to them if they contacted the council.
One of those options was a "widely used" garden at the Andersons Bay cemetery, designed specifically for the purpose of scattering ashes, Mr Matchett said. It was advertised through funeral directors and the council.
No issues had been noticed with plant health but the garden had been extended because of the number of scatterings, he said.
A fee of $51 was charged by the council for use of the garden, which went towards maintaining a record of people whose ashes were scattered, and garden maintenance.
Hope and Sons funeral director Michael Hope said there were "no real rules or regulations about what you can do with ashes", which could weigh up to 2kg.
However, creating a public nuisance was not allowed, and if an area was not public, the landowner should be consulted.
Scattering ashes at the Dunedin Botanic Garden was "certainly discouraged", as it was not designed for the purpose, he said.
About half the people cremated had their ashes placed in memorial plots in cemeteries, while the rest were scattered on a favourite fishing spot, at the beach or in the mountains.
Golf courses and Carisbrook were also popular, Mr Hope said.
Gillions Funeral Services manager Allan Gillions said he was not aware of many unusual scattering wishes, as a place of significance to the dead person or the family was usually chosen.
He had not heard of any ashes being scattered in the Dunedin Botanic Garden, but when he worked at a funeral home in the North Island, scattering ashes at public gardens was common but was controlled by garden management.
