Edinburgh is home to the world’s first floral clock, completed in 1903 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. The clock originally only had one hand, but a second was added the following year in 1904. The clock hands span over two meters, and weigh up to 80 pounds when covered in plants. The Edinburgh firm, James Ritchie & Sons were responsible for designing and building the clock, and continue to maintain the clock to this day. The mechanism was converted from manual to electric in 1973.
The clock is easy to visit in the West Princess Street Gardens, located in the “New Town” neighborhood of Edinburgh. The colorful floral display includes up to 30,000 plants and is re-planted twice each year, in Summer and Winter. Plants include Lobelia, Pyrethrum, Golden Moss, and succulents, and blooms from July to October each year. A cuckoo clock was added in 2003, with a life-size bird emerging every 15 minutes.
