Many Dunedin residents are likely to spend the weekend gardening, after plant were given away for free by the city council.

Dozens of people were at the Railway Station early this morning to take home pansies and polyanthus.

Usually the Dunedin City Council instructs Delta contractors to throw away old plants to make way for the new.

But that prompted a resident to complain, asking instead for members of the public to be given the flowers for their own homes and gardens.

So the council responded with a give-away.

It's planning on doing the same when other flower beds around the city are refreshed.

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