"It's about the only thing you can do, lay a few flowers" says Les Rigden, 85, as he laid roses by Christchurch's memorial wall.
Thousands of flowers from elaborate bouquets and wreaths to bunches of hydrangeas from home gardens and bundles of indigenous flax flowers now lie at the foot of the wall beside the Botanic Garden's Peacock Fountain.
Displays are also growing near the two mosques where 50 people were shot dead and another 50 injured and at many sites around the city. Some placed by family, friends, and locals. Others ordered from overseas.
The demand has stripped florists, supermarkets, dairies and garages of their flowers, forcing the local flower market to order extra supplies from growers.