The design on Norton Road's roundabout is mapped out from a computerised drawing linked to GPS locations.

Flowering plants, a "fancy machine" and some Hamilton City Council brains have combined to give the city a festive surprise.

Foral Christmas bells and a trio of presents have bloomed on the Norton Road roundabout, but you might not notice them unless you've got a bird's-eye view.

Fortunately, council drone picture reveals the intricate nature of the festive flora.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ City events often inspire the flower displays. This display was created to coincide with Hamilton hosting ICC Cricket World Cup games in 2015.

"We're really stoked with the positive feedback," city landscapes team leader Gina Hailwood​ said.

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"Even before people knew what [the display] was, and there was a Christmas theme, we were receiving lots of positive comments just about the colours and patterns."

Once her team has an idea for the roundabout, it goes to the design team, which designs it.

Hailwood's happy to leave them to it, as she says she isn't technically minded.

"Basically they have a CAD drawing, a computerised drawing of the design. Each point or part of that line of the different elements relates to GPS locations and they have got a fancy machine ... One of the things we like to use it for is to mark out our planting displays. Once they're out on site it links directly to that drawing and they basically can see it on a little screen and plot it out."

They usually allow two days for mapping, because bad weather can hamper the GPS, and then it takes three or four days for Hailwood's team to plant.

This display was planted in October and will stay until March, when the annual bedding sites are changed.

One Facebook commenter wanted to know the cost of the display, and council said the labour was part of city parks' staff's routine work.

Plants are grown by the nursery staffers and the per-plant average is about 30 cents.

There are 24,500 in the roundabout, the council said, which adds up to about $7350 for the roundabout.

And the Norton Rd traffic feature has had other themed displays, including for the Fifa U-20 World Cup and the Cricket World Cup, in 2015.