The Globe Bell Cloche is a beautiful example of a modern bell jar www.theshopperslink.com
While bell jars have been around and used to study plant life almost since glass technology made them a viable option, the development of a sealed terrarium belongs to the British doctor, Nathaniel Ward. Placing a cocoon in a sealed glass jar on his windowsill in order to watch its metamorphosis, Dr. Ward noticed small plants emerging from the moss he had placed in the bottom of the jar. These small plants were the same he had been trying to grow in his own garden, where they had failed due to air pollution. Intrigued, Dr. Ward allowed the experiment to continue for four years, noting he never had to water the new plants. Dr. Ward developed a sealed glass case to house sensitive and tropical plants, later presenting it at the World’s Fair.
While greenhouses and orangeries were not new to Europe by any means, the Wardian Case was different in not only size, but function as well. The Wardian Case is a sealed microcosm, recycling its water and purifying its own air. When even flower pots and window boxes failed them because of heavy pollution, urban dwellers could grow even the most sensitive plants within their own homes using a Wardian Case. Not only were terrariums proof against pollution, they also helped the lazy gardener succeed. In fact, once started, terrariums seemed to thrive best when neglected, making them an ideal gift even for young children interested in gardening, as the plants in them would succeed almost no matter what. As Wardian Cases became popular in middle class homes and research establishments, variations developed to suit the hobbies and interests of consumers. While the terrarium remained a perennial favorite with horticulturalists, naturalists and biologists developed the vivarium, ideal for keeping cold blooded animals like reptiles because of the ease of warming the glass. And shortly after the debut of the Wardian Case at the World’s Fair, the first large scale aquarium was unveiled in London, a specialisation of the Wardian technique. Soon thereafter, in the early 1850s, small scale aquariums based closely on the original Wardian Case design were made available for public consumption.
The Kew tabletop terrarium www.theshopperslink.com
The Strewn Petal Lantern is perfect path lighting for an evening garden. www.theshopperslink.com
As the Industrial Revolution and colonial expansion created more readily available, mass produced foodstuffs in Europe and America, ornamental, rather than subsistance gardens became attainable by the middle class which was not only growing its population, but also its wealth. The ornamental garden became a status symbol and garden parties were thrown for even the least occasions as a means to show off ever more intricate garden layouts. While these parties were not a new fad by any means, they were no longer the province of nobility. Middle class households either spent hours working in the gardens themselves or hiring gardeners to do so in order to keep up with their neighbors.
Daytime garden parties remained popular in Europe and the United States until the late 1950s, when industry again intervened, lengthening working hours, especially for middle and working class households and as women began entering the public economic sector. Daytime garden parties declined, taking place only on weekends and becoming centered around spring and summer holidays. The leisure to work on an elaborate ornamental garden remained a status symbol, however, and the Evening Garden took off as a popular form.
Evening garden enjoyment required the addition of outdoor lighting. While electric lighting was and remains available as an option, the American love of camping had a heavy hand in enjoying Evening gardens, so oil, gas or candle powered lanterns or lamp posts remain a popular method of lighting. The love of Evening gardens has only increased as working days get longer and summers become more stifling. Light and color are not the only things to change at night, the soundscape alters with nocturnal insects and wildlife. Plants send off more scent in evenings to attract nocturnal moths as pollinators and some flowers, like nicotiana only bloom at night and wilt in daytime. Escaping the heat of indoor spaces in late summer to enjoy the cool damp of an Evening garden is sometimes even more relaxing than any indoor fan or air conditioning.
A nocturnal luna moth often seen in evening gardens
The earliest evidence of agricultural trellis use dates to the New Kingdom period of ancient Egypt, where simple square frames were used to support olive trees and grape vines for temple production. The trellis experienced an explosion in popularity in Greece and Rome as demand for wine grew exponentially with the growth of city states. As with many other agricultural innovations to follow, the trellis evolved and spread with the expansion of the Roman Empire.
With the development of the monastic tradition and expansion of church and feudal lands within Christian Europe, the trellis doubled as defining walls for private property and as extra growing space for smaller and smaller garden plots.
Translating as privacy fences after the development of middle class property, the trellis enjoyed widespread use in private gardens both in Europe and the New World. With the discovery and conquest of more land during the era of Imperial expansion, garden layouts became expansive and formalised. Trellis and arbor architecture was used to transition between large garden expanses while still providing extra growth space in smaller, urban cottage gardens.
The Sand Garden Trellis is a stylish example of modern trellis architecture. www.theshopperslink.com
