Newick Horticultural Society Blog

I am currently in Japan… but have managed to update the website. Isn’t the internet amazing?! However, MANY thanks to Kate for her very interesting BLOG this month ……

There’s so much happening in the garden in May! It is truly a joyous time, especially if you’re lucky enough to have outdoor space - and even more so if you are really lucky, and have a greenhouse. For many, a greenhouse is just a dream; gardens can be too small, or the cost prohibitive. If you own a greenhouse, I hope you’re aware of just how lucky you are, and what a wonderful resource it is. Seeing those seeds germinate and grow in your own greenhouse is a magical experience that I never tire of. 

Greenhouses are a feature of many gardens today; and they come in all shapes and sizes. However, historically greenhouses were the preserve of the very richest, and used as PR for the British Empire in the 19th century!

The Romans were the first to consider growing under glass - although not as we do today. Pliny the Elder records in 30CE that Emperor Tiberius was required by his physician to eat one cucumber a day! This was challenging in the winter, so a system of hand carts were planted; rolled out into the sun during the day, and indoors for protection at night. These carts were topped with frames covered in oiled cloth or sheets of Lapis specularis. Not exactly a glass house, but pretty impressive for such ancient times!

Unsurprisingly, no civilisation tried to grow in this way again until the 13th and 14th centuries, when the Italians and Koreans respectively both came up with designs. Italians were gathering plants from around the world to use as medicine, and needed to recreate the warmer climates the plants had been taken from. Of course, the Roman Catholic Church, being so wealthy, had the first greenhouse built in the Vatican City. 

The 14th century Korean ruling class were trying to grow vegetables and fruit through their harsh winters, and even had a heating system, running pipes under the floor, as they did in dwellings. It’s thought unlikely that these attempts used glass though - more likely a fine oiled cloth, much like the Romans. 

Back in England, oranges became all the rage during the rein of Elizabeth I, and this led to the first light filled, heated buildings specifically being created for the growing of this newly discovered fruit. Very much still the preserve of the wealthiest.... In the 1800’s, the English tax on glass was abolished, and glasshouses began to be built by the upper classes in their grand kitchen gardens or attached to their houses as conservatorys.  Glazed roofs became technically possible, and the popularity of the pineapple and grapes drove the wealthy to ‘show off’ with greenhouses. The successful growing of these fruits in this country would have demanded resources, wealth and knowledge that really would have been impressive. 

The state then started to see the potential of glasshouses as a display of power and Empire. Think of the palm house at Kew Gardens, or the Crystal Palace. These buildings, filled with exotic plants from around the empire, displayed to all our standing in the world as a major power, a ruler of other lands. 

In  the 19th century, mechanisation meant greenhouses began to become available to the middle classes. These days of course, the choice is almost overwhelming. A greenhouse is available for even the smallest of gardens, although it is still an expensive investment. 

Worldwide, there are over 9 million acres of greenhouses - and I doubt this statistic includes all those in our gardens!! The modern scale of food and flower production under glass is incredible. I was lucky enough to visit a Dutch orchid producer myself some years ago, and can honestly say that walking into a greenhouse that went on as far as the eye could see, full of tens of thousands of Vanda Orchids suspended above me, was quite incredible...

There are many amazing greenhouses to visit in the UK and around the world, but here are some of my personal favourites - all different, all a little bit special in their own way. 

- Wisley Glasshouse, Surrey - fairly local, and beautiful inside and out. Has three distinct planting areas – dry temperate/moist temperate/tropical. Especially magical when they release tropical butterflies (not annually but always at Easter).

- The Mediterranean Glasshouse, at Bombay Sapphire Distillery, Laverstoke Mill, Hampshire - ultra modern design, growing botanicals used in gin making. Stunning.

- The Rainforest Biome, Eden Project, Cornwall - sheer audacity of intention, design and scale, with walkways and educational aspect. 

- Down House, Kent - Charles Darwin’s greenhouse (painted a charming shade of blue!) just for its historical importance. 

- Barbican Conservatory, City of London - set amongst the brutalist concrete architecture of the Barbican centre, this feels like nature has beaten man, and reclaimed the space. Quite a unique experience. 

- Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall - historically recreated Victorian estate, with quirky edge; classic greenhouses with pineapple cases. Just lovely. 

- Orchard House at Cragside, Northumberland - on my bucket list; Victorian house using groundbreaking design and technology. In the 3 part greenhouse potted plants are sat on rotating disks in order to allow turning to face the light. Way ahead of its time.

Have you visited any or all of these? What would be in your list of favourite Greenhouses?