Installation of the $85,000 worm sculpture, Ouroboros, by Christchurch artist Julia Morison, has been delayed twice now.
It was initially planned to be installed in the garden before an international botanic garden conference held in the city before Labour Weekend.
However, the pavers for the area around where the sculpture is to be installed near the Croque-o-dile Cafe were delayed, and then Ms Morison did some more laser cutting to increase the flexibility of the piece, which is made from tubular stainless steel divided into hundreds of scale-like segments that allow the sculpture to be moved and sat on, and the installation date was put back to the last week of October.
Botanic Garden team leader Alan Matchett said the worm had been assembled at a factory in Hamilton but Ms Morison was remodelling the exact positioning of three poles elevating the sculpture, to allow the full amount of movement possible from the piece.
It was now hoped the posts would be installed next week, followed by rubber surfacing on the ground around the area, and the sculpture itself would be installed by the second week of December, at the latest.
The garden extension and sculpture will use up most of a $230,000 bequest to the garden from the late Prof Clive Lister.
