By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist
The “beauty of Kentucky” is an oft-repeated phrase in describing the allure of the state. It speaks, in part, of features such as the glistening Bluegrass, majestic mountains, and rippling freshwater making up our rivers, lakes, and streams. Standing on the West Lawn of the Capitol Grounds in Frankfort is another bit of eye candy known as the Kentucky Floral Clock, a site that attracts thousands of visitors every year.
I liked seeing the Floral Clock as a child, and even more so being a passionate gardener as an adult. It’s an inviting sight to see for both Kentuckians and out-of-state visitors.
Besides the beauty of the flowers, the structure includes a 56-feet in diameter fountain, which has absorbed a prolific number of coins tossed into it—a sort of “wishing pool.” It once included the ones I threw in as a child. The best news, though, is that the money collected from the pool goes for charitable causes, including recreational equipment for children living in state childcare institutions.
In 1962, the state was awarded the Bronze Seal Award for the project by the National Council of Garden Clubs for its proactive beautification efforts. In 2002, the site was featured on the “Great American Gardens” series on HGTV.
The Floral Clock weighs about 200,000 pounds with a 34-feet planter. The clock face is home for more than 10,000 flowers that are grown in the local area. A mechanism in the stone pedestal makes the clock move its hands.
And according to hmdb.org:
The base is faced with native Kentucky fieldstone. The minute hand is 20-1/2 feet long and weighs 530 pounds. The hour hand is 15-1/2 feet long and weighs 420 pounds. The hands, of cast aluminum, are finished in “Kentucky Blue.”
Governor Bert Combs, known for leading in the construction of a state parks system in Kentucky, then touted as one of the finest in the nation, established the Floral Clock in May of 1961. He received his idea from one similar he saw in Scotland. The Floral Clock was co-sponsored, along with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, by the Garden Club of Kentucky, Inc. Before the dedication, Gov. Combs used a pun to describe the project, saying “Kentucky wants to keep up with the times.”
But as often happens, nasty political grandstanding found its way into the Combs endeavor when the Floral Clock project was ridiculed by some. At a cost of $50,000 from the governor’s contingency fund, some mocked it as “Combs’ Folly” or “Big Bert” (after “Big Ben” in London, England). Former Kentucky senator and governor Albert “Happy” Chandler said of the project, “It’s amazing what some people will think when they have nothing better to do.” He also charged that the cost was closer to $250,000. Going further, he commented, “Well, they don’t say it’s half past two in Frankfort anymore. They say it’s two petunias past the jimson weed.”
At the time, Courier-Journal writer John Ed Pearce pushed back on the criticism of Combs, telling others that the Floral Clock was one of the most talked about and visited places in Frankfort.
It still is, according to Robin Antenucci, Executive Director of the Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist & Convention Commission. “The capitol gets anywhere from 70,000 to 90,000 people a year to see the capitol (building),” she said.
Motor coaches on overnight or day trips are frequent visitors there. “And virtually all of them take a tour of the capitol and see the Floral Clock and will often take a group picture in front of it or in front of the capitol,” Robin noted.
Flower combinations change through the year at the Floral Clock. “Typically, they decorate it for Christmas. They lay Christmas lights on the base of the clock . . . last year it looked like an evening star.” For sure, it’s been impactful for over half a century. “It is an iconic thing here and most people know about it and want to see it,” said Robin.
I checked on the Floral Clock last week and found that it was in the midst of transitioning to the next batch of flowers, so one might first contact Robin at the Tourism Commission to check on the “color” status of this treasure before visiting. Her email is rantenucci@visitfrankfort.com.
