Time x Square

Time for another square month hosted by the lovely Becky. The photos don’t necessarily have to be of a timepiece, but are open to interpretation to reflect time in some way, or sayings such as ‘the passing of time’, ‘a stitch in time’, or time running away from you.

Day 20: A Floral Clock

I love floral clocks! The first one I recall was in Great Yarmouth, I think, when I was around 8½ years old. So this would be early  in the 1960s. Sadly due to continuous vandalism the clock was removed in 2005.

The Floral Clock which stood on the seafront, was actually a working clock, telling the time for all to see, which had flowers showing the numbers on its face.  Even the hands were covered in flowers.

I also got a photo of one in Ostend in 1971 and there is one in the English Garden (Le Jardin Anglaise) in Geneva.

But the one seen here is in the Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh taken in 2016. Commissioned in 1903, it was the first of its kind in the world. Clock hands, numbers and the surrounding display comprise of growing, photosynthesising life. In 1973, an electric motor was installed to keep the clock hands moving. Before then the clock’s mechanism had to be wound daily. Each year a new display is planted in West Princes Street Gardens along the lines of a topical theme. Plants vary each year but some of the more commonly used varieties include Lobelia, Pyrethrum, Golden Moss and succulents such as Echeveria and Sedum.

I am very glad to see that floral clocks live on. Where have you seen one?

To join in with the Squares challenge please visit Becky for instructions. Remember the only proper rule is that the photo must be SQUARE.

December Squares | Day Twenty

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Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

24 thoughts on “Time x Square”

    1. Thanks Sue. Edinburgh is a lovely city, I am only sorry that I didn’t visit before 2016! I have driven around it a few times though.

  5. Oh this one is gorgeous, they are such wonderful things. And amazingly this is the second floral clock I’ve been charmed by today 😊 so very sad though about the Great Yarmouth one 😕

    1. Well they were thinking of placing it on an island where the vandals couldn’t get to. Maybe they have. Such a shame people have to be such idiots, destroying a lot of hard work and enjoyment for others.

      1. Huge shame. Fingers crossed the island solution has happened. I’ve not been to Great Yarmouth for years, maybe I should go and find out next summer.

  6. Whitby. And I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the Great Yarmouth one. And you know which other one I’ve seen. And what’s wrong with my Gravatar, cheeky? 🙂 🙂 Please explain because I don’t get to see it.

    1. For some reason on some posts your picture isn’t showing, so whatever the blog person has chosen as a default shows up. On mine you are a green pattern, but on Elaine’s you were a funny green character. Have you deleted the picture from your site?

      1. Not knowingly 🙂 🙂 But I have changed my email address and for a while WP didn’t recognise me so perhaps it dates back to that. I saw the green pattern on yours but I’m probably more aptly depicted as a funny green character. 🙂

  8. This is so lovely Jude. I’m another fan of floral clocks and this one is particularly fine with the planting on the hands as well. When I was younger, they seemed to be a feature of every large park I remember visiting, and now you’ve got me wondering how any remain. I feel a campaign of “walks I. The park” coming on. Thanks for the smile and the inspiration.

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