This design on this year’s Floral Clock in Princes Street Gardens commemorates 100 years of the Flying Scotsman, the world’s most famous steam locomotive.
The team of three gardeners planted 50,000 flowers and plants in the last seven weeks to create the clock which will now bloom until October. There are 20 different plants included in this year’s design such as antennaria, crassula, echevaria, sedum, saxifrage and annuals such as pyrethrum, begonias and geraniums.
At the small ceremony this morning the Rt Hon Lord Provost Robert Aldridge, City of Edinburgh Council parks staff who created and planted the design, David Dorward and Jillian Denney and Andrew McLean, Assistant Director and Head Curator of the National Railway Museum (owners of Flying Scotsman) assembled in Princes Street Gardens.
The Rt Hon Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge said to a small assembled audience: “Synonymous with the golden age of rail travel, the locomotive is renowned as a feat of design and engineering. It’s a star attraction in the collection of the National Railway Museum, where it’s a working museum exhibit and it was here, just first thing this morning and it’s off on a tour.
“I am delighted officially, to unveil this striking and much loved creation. The amount of work that goes into getting this looking perfect is incredible and all credit to the fantastic team who work I think I think you were saying it takes seven weeks to prepare it – it is absolutely brilliant. So congratulations to our dedicated and creative Parks team who’ve put together the design and we can all now enjoy this realised vision of 100 years of Flying Scotsman thanks very much indeed.”
Andrew McLean, Assistant Director and Head Curator of the National Railway Museum which owns Flying Scotsman said: “We own Flying Scotsman and it was fantastic to see Flying Scotsman back in Edinburgh earlier today. In fact it steamed through Princes Street Gardens just a couple of hours ago. It was also fantastic the Lord Provost was there to see it arriving at Waverley because one of the things that Flying Scotsman was famous for was the first nonstop run of a locomotive between London and Edinburgh back in 1928. And it was greeted at Waverley station by the Lord Provost’s predecessor at that time.”
Mr McLean explained there were many connections between the locomotive and the capital – filming of major movies at Waverley Station in 1929 and 1934, and the designer of Flying Scotsman Sir Nigel Gresley who was born in Dublin Street in 1876.
He explained his own personal connection to the Floral Clock. He said: “Although the National Museum is based in York, my own accent might give away that I’m from Edinburgh. I was introduced to this Floral Clock as a little boy by my grandfather, who was Clerk of Works with the council. It’s lovely for me to have something that’s got a family connection, now connected through the Flying Scotsman floral display to my current job at the National Rail Museum.
“It’s fantastic to be here and wonderful to see what’s been done. I just want to say a final couple of words to Jillian and David here – you’ve done an incredible job, particularly Jillian, who’s actually believe it or not on the last day of her honeymoon, and she’s come here for this. That’s dedication for you.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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