Diwali
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The festival of lights: warm colours to share with friends. Read our guide.
Order flowersSending flowers to Wellington
Wellington – Te Whanganui-a-Tara – is home to about 209,800 people, and a bunch of flowers here has to cope with a few things you won't find in every city: steep hill suburbs, a famous wind and a regional hospital with clear rules about where flowers may go. We have gathered what matters before you order, so your flowers arrive where they are welcome and in good shape.
Below you will find the ward rules at Wellington Regional Hospital, a few practical notes on the weather, and some guidance for sympathy flowers at Karori and Makara.
Order by 2 pm on weekdays (11 am Saturdays) for same-day delivery in many areas
- Local florists make up and deliver the flowers
- Hospital rules for Wellington Regional Hospital
- Funerals: what to send and write
Popular bouquets to send to Wellington
Made up by a florist near the recipient.
Order by 2 pm on weekdays (11 am Saturdays) for same-day delivery in many areas
Send flowers for the right occasion in Wellington
Pick the moment and a local florist takes over.
Birthday
Add some colour to the big day
Anniversary
Roses that say you remembered
Hospital
Check the ward rules first
Mother’s Day
Second Sunday in May
Graduation
Ceremony dates by university
Sympathy & funerals
Where to send, and what to write
Love & romance
Valentine’s in a Kiwi summer
Get well soon
Sunny stems for a recovery
Wellington Regional Hospital: where flowers can and can't go
The hospital accepts flowers on most wards, but Health New Zealand lists three areas where they are not allowed:
- the intensive care unit (ICU)
- the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
- ward 7 south
The hospital asks that anything sent to a patient is clearly marked with the patient's name and ward, and gives the address for flowers as Wellington Regional Hospital, 49 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021. Because patients move between wards, check with the ward before sending. Our page on flowers for Wellington Regional Hospital sets out the full wording.
If your patient is at Kenepuru Community Hospital instead, a free weekday shuttle runs between the two hospitals, and you will find Kenepuru's details on our Porirua page.
The wind, the hills and a bouquet on the doorstep
Wellington is known for strong winds, with an average wind speed of about 27 km/h, and frosts are quite common in the hill suburbs between May and September. Neither is kind to flowers left outside.
- Give a phone number for the recipient so the driver can reach them rather than leaving the flowers on an exposed step.
- Add delivery notes for houses reached by steps or a steep path.
- In the colder months, a workplace address where someone is on hand can be the safer choice.
Our guide to making flowers last has tips the recipient can use once the vase is filled.
A city that grows roses in concentric circles
Flowers have a long history in the city. The Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā, established in 1868, covers about 25 hectares. Its Lady Norwood Rose Garden has 110 beds of roses laid out in concentric circles around a fountain, and in 2015 it was named a Garden of Excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies. The Begonia House glasshouse, opened in 1960, holds tropical and temperate plants.
Closer to the bush, Ōtari-Wilton's Bush in Wilton is New Zealand's only public botanic garden dedicated solely to native plants, with around 1,200 species on a 105-hectare reserve – a good prompt if you are thinking about a plant or a native-themed arrangement rather than classic roses.
Sympathy flowers for Karori and Makara
Wellington has two cemeteries in our data: Karori Cemetery and Makara Cemetery. Karori opened in 1891, and its crematorium, built in 1909, was the first in New Zealand and is still in operation. For a funeral or farewell, flowers usually go to the funeral home or the family home rather than to the cemetery itself – ask the family or funeral director where they would like them. Our guide to funeral and sympathy flowers covers card wording and what is usually sent.
Sending further afield? Our overview of the Wellington region lists the other towns we cover.
Places flowers often go in Wellington
Hospitals
Cemeteries
- Karori Cemetery
- Karori Crematorium
- Makara Cemetery
Put the recipient’s ward, room or the funeral director’s name on the order so the florist can find them.
Upcoming occasions
Busy days book out early, so order ahead for Wellington.
Christmas
– days left
A summer Christmas: red flowers echo the pōhutukawa in bloom. Read our guide.
Order flowers
New Year's Eve
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Welcome the new year with flowers for family or friends. Read our guide.
Order flowersQuestions about sending flowers to Wellington
Can I send flowers to a patient in ICU at Wellington Regional Hospital?
No. Health New Zealand says flowers are not allowed in the ICU, the NICU or ward 7 south. Send them to the home instead, and check with the ward before sending if you are unsure where the patient is.
What address should flowers for Wellington Regional Hospital go to?
The hospital gives 49 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021, and asks that everything is marked with the patient's name and ward.
Is there a garden in Wellington just for native plants?
Yes. Ōtari-Wilton's Bush in Wilton is New Zealand's only public botanic garden dedicated solely to native plants, with around 1,200 species.