For the last few years the reserve on the corner of Chapel St and Ngatai Rd have been graced with two beautiful daffodil gardens originally planted by the Otumoetai Rotary Club, and have been a joy to all those who love these beautiful flowers. They were a sign that winter was leaving and spring was near.  The bulbs had not finished blooming and there were even some late buds emerging. It was with shock and horror that these gardens have been destroyed by the TCC contractors mowing them into the ground.  All that was left was the signs that said donated by the Rotary club. Anyone with any gardening knowledge knows that bulbs must be left to die naturally to feed the bulbs for the coming years. These gardens have been want only destroyed and desecrated by ignorance and have deprived the community of a beautiful sight.
No thanks to those who were responsible and a feeling of sadness for the locals and for those who participated in our big fundraising week for the Cancer Society.

Tauranga City Council responds: Tauranga City Council sincerely apologises for the premature mowing of the daffodil gardens located at the corner of Ngatai Rd and Chapel St. These cherished plantings, originally established by the Ōtūmoetai Rotary Club, have brought joy to the community for many years and we deeply regret the impact this has had.

The area was mown before the daffodils had naturally died back, which was a genuine mistake and falls short of the standard of care we aim to uphold. We understand the importance of allowing bulbs to complete their seasonal cycle to ensure healthy blooms in future years.

As a gesture of goodwill, our city operations team will work to re-establish the daffodil display at the site, helping to restore this much-loved spring feature for next season.

Once the issue was brought to our attention, we contacted local residents directly to apologise and offered the same commitment to restoring the gardens.