Floral clock (Frankfort, Kentucky)
Coordinates: 38°11′9.60″N 84°52′34.98″W / 38.1860000°N 84.8763833°W
The floral clock in Frankfort, Kentucky, is a landmark located behind the Kentucky State Capitol. Dedicated in May 1961 by Governor Bert T. Combs, the clock was constructed as a joint project between the state government and the Garden Club of Kentucky.
On April 10, 1961, Combs appropriated $50,000 from the governor's contingency fund to construct the clock on the lawn of the state capitol. Combs had seen a similar clock in Edinburgh, Scotland, and believed it would be a colorful addition to the capitol grounds. When construction was completed on the clock, some ridiculed it as "Combs' Folly" or "Big Bert" (an allusion to London's Big Ben). Combs' political foe, A. B. "Happy" Chandler, was particularly critical, declaring "It's amazing what some people will think of when they have nothing better to do." In a subsequent gubernatorial campaign, Chandler mocked the clock, declaring "Well, they don't say it's half past 2 in Frankfort anymore. They say it's two petunias past the jimson weed." Chandler's derision became the minority view in time, however; according to journalist John Ed Pearce, the clock became one of the most talked-about and visited tourist attractions in the state and the most visited place in Frankfort.
The face of the clock measures 34 feet (10 m) in diameter and is tilted at a 26-degree angle. The word "Kentucky" is spelled out in large letters around the top of the clock. The minute hand is 20 feet (6.1 m) long, and the hour hand is 15 feet (4.6 m) long; both weigh approximately 500 pounds (230 kg). The clock face is composed of more than 10,000 flowers, and the planter that holds them weighs 100 short tons (91 t). The majority of the flowers consist of Joseph's coat and begonias. All of the flowers used in the clock face are grown in greenhouses near the capitol and owned by the state.
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