The Floral Clock is a massive clock that houses the Westminster chimes and is operated by Ontario Power Generation. The clock face features intricate designs that are created with flower beds, maintained by Niagara Parks staff, and changed twice yearly so there is always a new and refreshing garden in the midst of creation for visitors to enjoy.
The tower located at the back of the clock houses the Westminster chimes that greet visitors each quarter hour with their song. This mechanism is kept working by Ontario Power Generation. If the door to the tower is open, you can enter to view the clock mechanisms and also enjoy photos of the floral clock faces that date all the way back to 1950.
Each intricate design on the face of the Floral Clock is created with up to 16,000 carpet bedding plants and the face design is changed twice yearly. These gardens are planted and maintained by the Niagara Parks horticulture staff.
The Floral Clock was based off of the Scottish Floral Clock in Princess Street Gardens from 1903. Niagara's clock however is significantly larger than that clock and is the largest in the world of its kind. The clock was created by Ontario Hydro, inspired by their chairman Richard Hearn, and completed in 1950.
Importance Within NPC
The Niagara Parks Commission has maintained the clock under its ownership since 1977 and the face design garden beds are changed twice a year. In the winters, the flowers are replaced with coloured rocks during the winter time to keep the face looking beautiful. The Floral Clock is very important to the Niagara Parks Commission and is estimated to be photographed almost as much as the actual falls. Visitors from all over come to visit the clock as the NPC continues to educate its guests at this location on the chimes and how the mechanical aspects of the clock work. The native plants that are always changed on the clock face constantly offer new education on ecosystems here and encourage education on local wildlife as well.
Niagara Parks Commission
| Phone: | 905-357-2411 |
| Details : | Open dawn to dusk, May to October. |
This location is wheelchair accessible.
Accessible
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