For dahlia growing enthusiasts like Napier's John McCutcheon last week's great deluge of rain was a killer.
And the timing could not have been worse for many of the nearly 60 members of the Hawke's Bay Dahlia Circle as the damaging rains struck just 10 days out from the North Island National Dahlia Show - being staged at the Napier Tech Clubrooms off Whitmore Park this weekend.
"I had about 200 blooms before the deluge," Mr McCutcheon said. "Afterwards I filled a 240 litre wheelie bin with spent flowers - probably around 100 of them."
Several other Napier-based club members also had losses, although Hastings growers escaped major damage as the rains were not so heavy there.
"But that's the way it is and you can't do anything about it - although last year I had umbrellas up but this year I didn't."