Flowers for a patient at Ashburton Hospital
Ashburton Hospital, at 28 Elizabeth Street, is the rural hospital for Mid Canterbury. Health NZ's current page for the hospital does not mention flowers at all, so the only written guidance comes from an older Canterbury District Health Board page. Here is what it said and how we suggest you handle it.
Order by 2 pm on weekdays (11 am Saturdays) for same-day delivery in many areas
- Ward rules quoted from the hospital
- Name and ward on the card
- Local florists deliver the flowers
Archived Canterbury DHB rule (2022): no flowers or potted plants in the Ashburton community maternity unit. The current Health NZ page says nothing; other wards not covered. Check with the ward.
“Flowers and potted plants are not allowed in any wards in Christchurch Women's Hospital. This includes the Maternity Ward and Birthing Suite and all Community Maternity Units at Rangiora, Selwyn, Ashburton, Kaikoura, Darfield.”
The old Canterbury rule for maternity units
A Canterbury DHB page, last updated on 8 June 2022 and now only available as an archived copy, has stated: "Flowers and potted plants are not allowed in any wards in Christchurch Women's Hospital. This includes the Maternity Ward and Birthing Suite and all Community Maternity Units at Rangiora, Selwyn, Ashburton, Kaikoura, Darfield."
That rule covered the Ashburton community maternity unit only. It is not repeated on the hospital's current page, so we cannot say for sure whether it still applies. For other wards, nothing has been published either way.
Our advice before you order
- For a new mum in the maternity unit, plan on flowers at home rather than on the ward.
- For any other patient, check with the ward before sending. Phone the hospital on 03 307 8450.
- Put the patient's full name and ward on the order if the ward says yes.
Home deliveries around the town are covered on our Ashburton flower delivery page. Many Mid Canterbury homes are rural, and addresses with an RD number can take longer, so allow extra time.
Visiting hours at Ashburton
General visiting is 11am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm every day. Maternity ward visitors can come from 10am to 8pm each day, or from 7am to 10pm if they are family. Palliative care visitors can come at any time.
If you are visiting someone in palliative care, a small arrangement for the room is often welcome, but ask the nurses first, as they know what the patient and family would like.
Related Canterbury pages
The same archived rule is the reason flowers are also off the list at Christchurch Women's Hospital, where Health NZ now bans flowers in every ward.
Parking and the café
Parking at Ashburton Hospital is free. Health NZ says the main car park is just past the main entrance, and there is more visitor and staff parking across the road, on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Oak Grove, where some spaces are time-limited.
The hospital café is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 3:30pm, with hot meals, sandwiches, baked goods and barista coffee. That can be a handy stop before or after a visit, though the page does not say whether it opens at weekends.
What the hospital looks after
Health NZ lists these services at Ashburton:
- an acute admitting unit, open 24 hours a day for urgent care
- maternity, as the primary birthing unit for uncomplicated pregnancies
- aged care for people who cannot live independently
- community mental health services for adults
- radiology
For a life-threatening emergency, call 111. If you are not sure which of these areas a patient is in, ring 03 307 8450 and ask before you send anything. Our Ashburton flower delivery page covers home addresses.
Address for the order
- 28 Elizabeth Street, Ashburton, 7700
- Ashburton
- Phone 03 307 8450
Write the patient’s full name and ward on the card and the order. Rules checked 6 November 2026; hospitals change their rules, so call the ward if you are unsure.
Get-well flowers that suit a ward
Compact arrangements are easier for nurses and small bedside tables.
Order by 2 pm on weekdays (11 am Saturdays) for same-day delivery in many areas
