The roses at Blenheim's most picturesque park keep getting pinched.
Rose gardens at Pollard Park Photo: Stuff / Scott Hammond
And while it's been known to happen - from time to time - over the years, Pollard Park gardeners say this summer, it's getting out of hand.
They have reported to the Marlborough District Council that between 800 and 1000 rose heads - about half the roses in Pollard Park - were stolen in January.
A gardener told a Local Democracy Reporting on Monday, they had just witnessed a woman take off with a bucket of flowers in the middle of the day.
Council parks and recreation manager Jane Tito said they had started to speculate who could be responsible.
The amount of flowers stolen, which weren't always just roses, was a "little bit extreme" for just a vase on a dining room table, Tito said.
Rose gardens at Pollard Park Photo: Stuff / Scott Hammond
One gardener even speculated if they were being taken for events, such as weddings.
Tito said one of the gardeners last week saw a woman with a bucket full of flowers.
When the gardener approached the woman, she said she had been told flowers were free to be picked from anywhere in New Zealand.
"So he said, 'would you take flowers in your own country', and she said 'no' ... " Tito said. "People are going there with buckets and taking what they like.
"There is some loss every year but the extreme loss this year is noticeable. Some of the gardening team have been working there for 20-odd years, and they've definitely noticed a difference."
She said a lot of pride went into keeping the garden in picture-perfect condition for the public to enjoy.
"They're proud of the garden, so it is disheartening," she said.
She said those taking the flowers also risked cutting them the wrong way, and ruining the plant. She thought more signage to inform people not to take the flowers might be needed.
"Cutting them like this, it takes away the enjoyment for all, and we know the garden is certainly appreciated by the community," she said.
A sign at Pollard Park said the rose gardens were designed and built in 1957, to commemorate the centennial of the Marlborough province. It said the roses were in full bloom between November and April.
Marlborough Sounds residents Georgie Lightfoot, left, and Yske Hertoghs in the depleted rose gardens at Blenheim's Pollard Park. Photo: Stuff / Scott Hammond
Marlborough Sounds residents Georgie Lightfoot and Yske Hertoghs were at the park for a picnic on Monday.
"I don't think it's good, it's sad, because no-one else can enjoy them if you pick them," Hertoghs said.
"As a kid, you might pick one and not think much about it. But that's not the same as this.
"They've [gardeners] clearly put a lot of thought into the garden, and a lot of time, it looks very carefully designed.
"You would be upset if you put that much work into something, just to have someone come and take it."
Lightfoot said Pollard Park was "such a great spot" it was sad to think that people were coming in and taking the flowers.
"The poor gardeners, you're just trying to do your job and then someone comes and takes that away."
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air