The bush and standard roses, together worth more than $5000, arrived in Oamaru this week and were planted in the gardens on Wednesday and yesterday.
One variety, Absolutely Fabulous, a yellow floribunda bred in California and named Rose of the Year in the United Kingdom in July, will not be on the market until next year. .
They plants are replacing varieties that have grown poorly in Oamaru or are well past their prime.
Some roses had been in the gardens for 40 years.
About a dozen rose beds, with between 15 and 40 plants each, lie around the renovated gardens' display house, each bed home to a single variety.
The donation was arranged by Waitaki District Council property and parks manager Dougall McIntyre and planting is being overseen by Whitestone Contracting landscape division contracts manager Hugh Newall.
Mr McIntyre is a friend of Bob and Cath Matthews, who run the nursery at Marangai, southeast of Wanganui.
He worked at the nursery for 15 months starting in 2000.
Mr McIntyre heard that the nursery had offered the Oamaru Gardens a bed of roses, but it had "been lost in communication".
He approached the nursery again and asked if the offer was still available.
"I was expecting [enough roses for] one bed - I didn't expect this many," Mr McIntyre said.
Mr Newall said most of the roses would be planted in the existing rose beds.
Some would be planted around the display house and, if any were left, a few would be planted in a bed in the garden's front lawn.
There are 120 bush roses and 70 standards.
The varieties are Starship, Ebb Tide, Blushing Pink Iceberg, Diamonds Forever, Lasting Love, Absolutely Fabulous and The Gallery.
