Masks hid their smiles, but Morag Burden was left in no doubt of the community response when she gave away $2000 worth of flowers this morning.
The Devonport Flowers owner posted on her community's Facebook page to say her fresh stock, including roses, a mix of spring and tropical flower varieties, and some plants, were free to take.
Like all non-essential businesses, the North Shore florist is closed under level 4 lockdown restrictions.
The brief period between the news that a Devonport man was New Zealand's first confirmed COVID-19 community case since February and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing a nationwide lockdown left Burden with little choice but to either give stock away or throw it out.
"I had a chiller full of flowers and not a lot of notice to sell them, so I put a post on the Devonport community Facebook page to say I was giving them away, and within half an hour they were gone.
"Hopefully we'll have cheered a few people up this morning," Burden said.
"I think everyone wanted a bit of flowery sunshine today."'
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