Time in the Garden

Time in the Garden

Edinburgh’s floral clock can be found in the NE corner of West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland, beside the steps leading into the gardens from the foot of the Mound, and beneath the statue of Allan Ramsay.

Commissioned on the 10th June, 1903, this is the oldest floral clock in the world. It is seasonally replanted in a topical design with around 35,000 colourful plants.

The clock is 3.5m (12 feet) in diameter and the hands, which are driven by an electric motor, weigh more than 60kg (130 lbs). The electrically-driven mechanism replaced a clock-work motor in 1973, which had required to be wound daily.

From 1905 onwards, a mechanism was added to reproduce the sound of a cuckoo, every fifteen minutes. The sound was produced by two organ bellows and organ pipes, but there was no model cuckoo to be seen.

By 1950, the sound of the cuckoo had become almost drowned by the noise of nearby traffic, so a new cuckoo sound system, including loudspeaker, was installed. A model cuckoo was also added, appearing out of its housing every fifteen minutes.

Previously on show only between June and October, from 2003 a planting of frost-resistant plants takes it through the winter season.

Each Spring, the clock is replanted to a different design. Since 1946, the floral clock has celebrated a different event or anniversary each year. For 2009, the design celebrates the bicentenary of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.

Three bracketed JPGs converted to HDR in Photomatix.

Camera: Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi in the USA)
Canon 18-55mm IS lens

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Related shots can be found at: Edinburgh or you can look at all my HDR shots.

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