How to make «flower clock» on your site: unusual decor from Carl Linnaeus
The decoration of the site is a favorite activity of all of green thumb. Indeed, lately come to the country not to provide themselves with vegetables and fruit, although this aspect should not be overlooked. But still aesthetic pleasure from communion with nature gradually coming to the fore. Great innovative design, which is directly connected with landscape design of the plot can be considered a floral clock. This original item is not only true decoration for any garden, this practical aspect, allowing the grower to navigate in time.
The contents
From the history of the flower clock
Many large cities have a floral clock. Usually they are located somewhere near the Central square. Flowers play a decorative role. The basis of such structures forms a special mechanism that moves the arrow. In fact, it is a mechanical device that is different from what is at each house, only the size.
In the inner part of those hours laid down a complex control system. In fact, it was the same mechanical clock as those that we wear on the wrist
The famous Swedish naturalist and physician Carl Linnaeus created the floral clock, which are fundamentally different from mechanical, invented much later,
Real flower clock first appeared in Ancient Rome, long before the invention of their mechanical version. Scientists already at that time noticed the interdependence between time of day and behavior of plants. Natural biorhythms colors allow you to accurately divide the day into time segments. From early spring to late autumn, people could rely on the acquired knowledge.
The invention, the floral clock was first introduced in Sweden. Modified the idea a brilliant biologist Carl Linnaeus, who spent a lot of time botany. The scientist’s thought embodied in the design that had the shape of a circle, divided into sectors. Each sector was occupied by the plant, whose blossoms open in a specific time of the day. Flowering passed from sector to sector as well as one hour followed another.
Features of biorhythms of plants
Early in the morning to greet the sun offers a fun dandelion. Over lunchtime and the water lilies closed their buds, dive under the water. In the twilight of the garden awakens noctule – night violet. Clear circadian rhythms, inherent in many plants. They bloom and cease to bloom, depending on the light conditions and, consequently, the time of day. Each flower has its own regulations.
As it turned out, the secret lies in the colors of the pigments, which are in each of them. Two of the pigment phytochrome, depending on the time of day transformirovalsya one another. When the absorption of daylight one pigment is converted to another. After dark, the reverse transformation. So flower «understand», in what time of day it actually is.
Each plant has its own life. Subject to its internal regime, bloomed and closed and his buds
Interestingly, the changing conditions almost does not affect the internal biorhythms of the plant. Even in a dark basement, the Bud will open when he would need to do in the light. And after a certain time, it closes. Although, if a long period of time to influence artificial lighting, biorhythms can be disturbed. But it does not happen immediately.
Do the flower clock alone
To create with their hands the floral clock is no so simple as it may seem. Although the business is interesting and extremely informative. I strongly advise to involve children. The path will get a visual lesson in solar astronomy and botany entertaining.
Some beds only imitate a watch, others do show time. Just the watch looks very impressive and is very popular
Do not forget that the biorhythms of plants of the same species depend on weather conditions, geographic latitude, where is your site, and the level of natural light. It is possible that you received preliminary data will require adjustments.
For working floral clock need clear, Sunny weather. Count on the fact that they are in the rain will show you the exact time is not necessary, this will not happen.
We need sunshine and flowers
To create these solar flower clock, you will need several types of flowers. The overall working principle is as follows: the flowers should open and close at a certain time, showing what time it is.
Watch surrounded by flowers, is very popular not only in Russia but also abroad. They invariably become the center of attention and a spectacular backdrop to photos of tourists
Determined the main parameters:
- Choose a place for future flower beds in his garden plot. We need open space that is unobstructed from sunlight. Make sure that the site is not shadow any buildings, trees or shrubs.
- If you want to future design will perform not only a decorative function, but also used for its intended purpose, put it in a prominent place. For example, in the crosshairs of several garden paths.
- Round shape dial is traditional and comfortable. After preparing the soil for transplanting, it is necessary to break up the circular area into 12 sectors. Each will represent one hour.
- Round «dial» should be separated from the rest of the lawn. To isolate it, stick a couple of small pebbles in a contrasting color or by filling with gravel.
- Remember that in the rain and the buds may not open. Bad weather confuses plants since natural biorhythms, which they share, therefore, do not rely on the accuracy «speed».
It is very important to choose the right seedling to the flower clock. To do this, not only theoretically know the time of opening and closing their flower buds, but also how they behave in your particular area. Given the time period of flowering you will need to place the seedlings on a designated sectors.
To help you in choosing the right colors, we give below information on plants, circadian rhythms most pronounced. Watch selected for planting objects, make your own list of their biorhythms. Then error will not occur.
This table is a real find for any gardener. It can help to create not only flower clock, but also very harmonious flower beds
If you are afraid that not cope with such large-scale work, you can start small. For example, to make a simplified design, which will show the time when it’s time for Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
About what time Breakfast will remind you of violet, mother and stepmother and calendula, which opens its flowers in the period from 7 am to 10 am. When in the period from 13 to 15 charming poppies and bluebells close their colourful petals, come dinner time. In the period from 20 to 21 reveals night flowers – noctule and fragrant tobacco. This time a late dinner. Choose plants that are biorhythms that match your own. Let them adorn the flowerbed and signal when it’s time to eat.
Dial with shadow arrow
If the previous design seemed too complicated and not very showy, we offer you an option that is easier to implement in technical terms. By the way, the appearance of the proposed beds will not be worse, and possibly better than the previous. We suggest you to make a sundial, flowers which will play an decorative function.
In this case, the floral clock supplemented by a gnomon that allows them to show the time accurately: biorhythms colors are duplicated by the shadow of the gnomon
Time will show the shadow cast by the gnomon, – high column, which you can use rebar or wooden rack. Mark out a circle which will be well lit by the sun. In the center set the gnomon so that it was a small slope to the North. For precise measurement of direction, use a compass, but all work is best done in 12 days. The shadow of the gnomon at this point must point to the upper point of our dial.
In the Central part of the watch is the gnomon, which is installed obliquely in the direction of North. His shadow shows the correct time
At the intersection of the shadows with a circumference of 12 note. Further marks will need to do every hour. The most important part of the work will be completed with putting the last marks. From the markings to the center of the designated sector, which can be decorated to your taste. The boundaries usually marked with gravel or floral borders. Sector fill low-growing plants.
The advantage of this option is that you can use a variety of decor options and colors, without reference to the timing of their flowering. You can just make a neat circular lawn, with well-visible numbers printed on water-resistant plywood. For the background of a circle or sectors, you can use any ground cover. For borders – young sedums and similar types of.
The more you watch, the harder work on their creation. Giant city clock makes a team of several people. Flowers are grown for them in advance
Design using pots
Another proposed method of manufacture of hours, perhaps, even simpler than all previous ones. The only difficulty is to find a suitable site. We will need 1.5 square metres of well-lit areas, which will not fall shade from tall trees or buildings.
Prepare:
- different diameter pots (pots): 6-10 pieces of small, 4 large and one medium size;
- a wooden or metal rod 90 cm long;
- paint to complete the exterior and brushes;
- paving to create a site in 1 sq. m;
- a mixture of sand and cement;
- some gravel.
If all the materials and tools we have to commence work.
Pots for hours can be marked using acrylic paint to complete art works. She also looks quite impressive
For large pots colors draw numbers 3,6,9,12. Small pots will also be applied to a numerical designation. Because at night the sundial will not work, it is logical to start small pots of 7 am and finish 7-8 PM. Yes, the little pots we put in upside down, learn this when marking. A specific number of small pots will depend on the duration of the time of day in your particular region.
To watch looked bright and colorful, it is necessary for them to pick up plants approximately the same size. For flowers to take care of, not to forget about watering
Large pots filled with moistened soil. We will place light-loving plants. Not necessarily that they were the same species. Better to pick ones that are roughly the same size and bright colors. So the overall design will look more beautifully.
Prepare a site for «dial», laying her stones. The design of this structure is completely depends on your imagination. In the center of the site put only the pot is medium in size which is pre-filled with gravel. Stick to it axis, the shadow of which will play the role of the arrow. Now, armed with a conventional clock, we begin to set the pots in a circle «dial» in the place where the shadow of the arrow will show at the beginning of each hour.
In this case, the area under watch is made from a sheet of plywood. If you tile it with pavers using sand-cement mixture, the watch will look even more interesting
When all the pots are placed, the structure can be considered ready for exploitation. Note that after a few weeks the position of the pots need to be adjusted because the position of the sun above the horizon changes over time.