Thursday July 30th 2026
Edinburgh Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and the Trellis team at the unveiling event today
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost today officially unveiled Edinburgh’s world-famous Floral Clock, revealing a new design celebrating the 20th anniversary of therapeutic gardening charity Trellis.
Unveiling the striking new design of the popular attraction in West Princes Street Gardens, joined by representatives from the charity, Lord Provost Robert Aldridge marked the new design of the world’s first floral clock which took a team of three gardeners six weeks to create.
Comprising around 35,000 colourful flowers and plants across a 200-square-metre display, this year’s Floral Clock has been co-designed with Trellis to celebrate the charity’s work improving mental and physical wellbeing through gardening, plants and connecting with nature.
During the unveiling, Lord Provost Robert Aldridge explained to the Midlothian View:
“I think during Covid people realised the value of green spaces more and more so we are determined to keep investing in our parks and green spaces and encouraging people to make the best use of them.
“Every year it is absolutely magnificent. 35,000 individual plants that are beautifully planned every year. It changes every year but of course it’s free.”
Highlighting the importance of Edinburgh’s green spaces, he added:
“We have the largest number of green flag parks in Scotland with around 32 or 33. This is a beautiful attraction and hopefully it’ll encourage people to make use of the gardens but also encourage more people to take up a bit of gardening themselves.”
“People might not get quite how beautiful Edinburgh is and we can still make a big effort. It actually says that we’d like Edinburgh to be a clean and green city but we are also a city that doesn’t exploit our visitors. This is free entertainment and it’s part of what Edinburgh is all about.”
Edinburgh Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Trellis Sir Andrew Cubie
Edinburgh has 144 official parks and green spaces, covering around 49% of the city’s total area. The Edinburgh Council funds these green spaces through capital investment, long-term projects and community grant schemes, allowing for projects such as the Princes Street Gardens Floral Clock.
The clock was first created in 1903 by Edinburgh’s then Parks Superintendent, John McHattie, making it one of the oldest of its kind in the world. Originally featuring only an hour hand, a minute hand was added in 1904, followed by the famous cuckoo mechanism in 1952. Operated mechanically and wound by hand until 1972, it has celebrated charities, organisations and notable individuals through its annual designs for almost 80 years.
Lord Provost Robert Aldridge added:
“The Floral Clock is one of Edinburgh’s most treasured landmarks, delighting residents and visitors alike for more than 120 years. Every year, it showcases the incredible talent and dedication of our Parks team while celebrating the people and organisations who make a positive contribution to our city.
“It is particularly fitting that this year’s design recognises Trellis and the life-changing work they do to improve health and wellbeing through gardening.”
Dedicating this year’s design to Trellis, the charity is a Scottish national charity that promotes health and wellbeing through therapeutic gardening, supporting over 520 community projects that connect people with nature.
Highlighting how important the collaboration means for the charity, Chair of the Board of Trustees Sir Andrew Cubie, explained:
“Having this recognition is wonderful, both in terms of the people who look up to us but also the thousands of people who come back and look forward to seeing our work.”
For the past 20 years, Trellis has supported people to recover from ill health, overcome adversity and build confidence through therapeutic gardening. In the last year alone, the charity has helped more than 1,000 people across Edinburgh and the Lothians improve their health and wellbeing, while supporting communities to create green spaces in hospitals, GP surgeries, schools, prisons, and other community settings.
Chief executive at Trellis, Fiona Thackeray, added:
“For us, it’s such a fitting tribute as we are a tiny charity, no one’s heard of Trellis and mostly no one’s heard of therapeutic gardening. So to have this is a huge honour for us.
“It will increase the spaces for people to enjoy but it also highlights our work. Receiving this recognition from the City of Edinburgh Council to commemorate the incredible work done by our volunteers and team members is absolutely incredible and we hope it will allow us to continue supporting people in need in the future.
“Through our work, we have seen first-hand the transformative changes that can be achieved by connecting with nature, creating something beautiful and unique outdoors, and meeting other people taking action to manage their own health and wellbeing.
“Over the last 20 years we have supported over 15,000 people across Edinburgh and the surrounding area through therapeutic horticulture. Alongside those we have directly supported, the wider impact is far-reaching. From the communities benefiting from the gardens and greenscapes created, to the families of those supported, the impact of the work Trellis does is ever growing, thanks to the support from our donors and funders.”
Previous themes have honoured the Girl Guides Association, Robert Louis Stevenson and Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to mark her Golden Jubilee. In its centenary year in 2003, the Floral Clock received a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The 2026 design highlights the positive impact of gardening for wellbeing, inviting visitors to pause, reflect and connect with nature in the heart of the city.
Unveiling this years design, Lord Provost Robert Aldridge made an announcement. Watch the announcement below.
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