Bad weather has led to hold-ups in the upkeep of the showpiece Botanical Gardens, the public works ministry said yesterday.

A spokesman said that regular maintenance of the park’s maze area, including the use of weedkiller and hedge planting, was delayed by heavy rain.

He added that weeds sprouted after work halted and that their spread could not be tackled until the weather improved.

The spokesman said: “The Ministry of Public Works can advise that the garden quadrant in question is in the early stage of transitioning to a new display, which involves removing the plants and hedging followed by treating the pathways with herbicide to cull the weeds.

“The recent spate of windy and wet weather has delayed application of the herbicide as it requires several days of calm dry weather to be effective.

“Weather permitting, the team will apply the herbicide and continue working towards completing the new garden display.”

The spokesman declined to comment on what the display will feature or when it will be completed.

The state of the maze sparked several complaints and questions on social media.

The Botanical Gardens was in the news last month after the Department of Parks dismantled a playground donated by the organisers of the 2017 America’s Cup.

The play equipment was removed because of “significant health and safety concerns”.