The History of the Greenhouse
The Roman Emperor Tiberius (42 to 37 B.C.) is said to have enjoyed the luxury of a daily cucumber prescribed by his physician, thanks to his resourceful gardeners. The gardeners planted cucumbers in carts that were wheeled into the sunlight by day and brought indoors by night to protect them from the elements. Theirs was an innovative form of the greenhouse. Does this Spark an idea?
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Ancient Greenhouses
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Ancient greenhouses might have existed in Pompeii. The principles of harnessing solar energy were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans--as illustrated by the orientation of dwellings to capture the winter sunlight and warm their homes. Yet it was centuries later before these principles were applied to the construction of the first purpose-designed greenhouses to preserve plants and flowers under controlled conditions.
Evolution
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In the 16th century, European explorers brought back exotic plants acquired in the course of their travels. Many were tropical plants that could not survive the cold European climates. The result was the creation of greenhouses that would progress from the Italian "botanical gardens" to wooden structures to the more stable cast iron frames, and eventually to glasshouses.
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Developments
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Holland, France and England all have histories of greenhouse development, like Italy. A French botanist named Charles Lucien Bonaparte (1803 to 1857), a nephew of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, is said to have designed the first modern greenhouse in Leiden, Holland, which housed medicinal plants. In France, "orangeries" were built to protect evergreen orange trees. In England, the glasshouse evolved into the conservatory, a metal and glass structure that provided enhanced benefits of light and became a status symbol in affluent Victorian households. Conservatories were attached to the main house in the form of a glass-enclosed extension, and provided a pleasant retreat for the lady of the house who might even receive guests there.
Conservatories
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In the 19th century, one of the most famous public conservatories was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton (1801 to 1865). Paxton was head gardener, then estates manager, at Chatsworth in Derbyshire where he worked for the Duke of Devonshire. The 1851 Crystal Palace conservatory in London was Paxton's creation. Paxton had no formal architectural training, but he is considered ahead of his time for his outstanding conservatory design concepts. Other noteworthy conservatories are at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London and the Palace of Versailles, Paris.
New Milestones
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In recent years, greenhouses have been used to grow food for nations whose desert or arctic climates cannot sustain food production. Greenhouses have been designed and manufactured to protect crops from extremes of heat and cold, from dust storms, blizzards and pests. Biologist Dr. John Todd achieved an important milestone with his invention of a greenhouse with the capacity to turn sewage to water by means of natural processes.
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