Sun Dial Clock

by AAS
(Washington)

This is my very favorite sundial clock, though it is not the only one I currently have in my garden. It came with the house when I moved in and therefore, I do not know where it was manufactured or its age, although I do not suspect that it is an antique.

It is an iron disk sitting atop a stone piller. Perhaps the iron disk was custom cast and carved, although many iron sundial faces can be found for sale if you look thoroughly. This picture was taken on a rather overcast day and therefore it is hard to make out the shadow cast by the pillar.

The sundial clock also doesn't work at night or on cloudy days but I have other electric clocks for that so I don’t really consider it a huge drawback. Because I was so entranced by the simplicity of this wonderful piece, I have researched how sundials work and started a small collection of them in my garden. They are so simple one can even be made with a paper plate and tape or even just a stick in the ground and some stones, assuming you know your latitude and can calibrate the clock at noon.

Children seem to love the sundial and can easily be shown how to construct their own, which can be a wonderful learning activity. This sundial clock will have a long and wonderful life of being admired in my garden, and in fact it will probably even outlive me.