Floral clock

Floral Clock, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Tehran, Iran.

Europe largest floral clock, Kryvyy Rih, Ukraine

A floral clock or flower clock is a large decorative clock with the clock face formed by carpet bedding, usually found in a park or other public recreation area.

The first floral clock was invented by John McHattie of Edinburgh Parks and was first planted up in the spring of 1903 in West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh.^[1] In that year it had only an hour hand but a minute hand was added the following year. It was soon imitated across the United Kingdom and later throughout the world.

In Edinburgh the clock mechanism is set inside the plinth of the statue to Allan Ramsay adjacent and lasted until 1936. It was constructed by local clockmaker Messrs James Ritchie and Sons Ltd, originally using salvaged parts from Elie Parish Church in Fife.^[2]

Most have the mechanism set in the ground under the flowerbed, which is then planted to visually appear as a clock face with moving arms which may also hold bedding plants.

Zacatlán Floral Clock

The only flower clock with two faces moved by the same system is located in Zacatlán, Puebla, Mexico. It has two faces, each five meters in diameter. It was manufacturated by Relojes Centenario, a local manufacturer.

Michael Jackson had a floral clock at his Neverland Ranch.

Other floral clocks can be seen in the International Peace Garden on the border between North Dakota and Manitoba and in Frankfort, Kentucky.

References

• Brent Elliott, 'Floral Clock', Oxford Companion to Gardens, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1986
• Clifford-Smith, Silas; 'Floral Clocks', Oxford Companion to Australian Gardens, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Australia 2002

External links

• Michael Jackson's Floral Clock
• World's Biggest Flower Clock
• Edinburgh Floral Clock

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flower clocks

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