- Floral clock
A floral clock or flower clock may be one of two things:
#A large decorative
clock set into aflower bed in apark or other public recreation area, the most famous being inGeneva ,Switzerland , and the largest in the world being inTehran ,Iran ;
#A flower bed divided into sections, each of which contains flowers that open at a different time of day, sometimes arranged in the shape of a clock face. Such a floral "clock" is described byAndrew Marvell , in "The Garden" (1678):How well the skilful gardener drew
Of flow'rs and herbs this dial new;
Where from above the milder sun
Does through a fragrant zodiac run;
And, as it works, th' industrious bee
Computes its time as well as we.
How could such sweet and wholesome hours
Be reckoned but with herbs and flow'rs!The floral clock was a form of
carpet bedding introduced by John McHattie of Edinburgh Parks in 1903 and soon imitated across the United Kingdom. The clock mechanism was set in the ground under the flowerbed, which was then planted as a clock face with moving arms.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.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 2002External links
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A5170024 History of the Flower Clock]
* [http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/hpg/envis/doc28.html Exhaustive list of appropriate flowers and their opening times]
* [http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~sykesm/aboutFlowerClock.html Java applet showing flowers that should be opening at the current time]
*The floral clock in West Hendon, London, UK is at coordinates coord|51|34|30.55|N|0|14|12.70|W|type:landmark|name=West Hendon floral clock
* [http://stamaria.marin.esc.edu.ar/lalujanera/LaLujaneran12004/Reloj%20Floral2.htm Floral clocks in Mexico]
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