A greenhouse is a beautiful and serene place to see magic at work. Glass walls and greenery can be an intimate, warm place to experience the outdoors. Only a little bit of dirt on your hands and some loving care allows nature to do its thing. Even the most inexperienced gardener can produce gorgeous vegetables, flowers, fruits, shrubs, or even trees right in their backyard. But what’s so special about planting something in a greenhouse, rather than directly in the ground in the great outdoors?
Within a greenhouse, a microclimate is made, creating ideal and healthy conditions for the plants within. This means plants are protected from harsh weather, inadequate temperatures, and pests alike.
An Ancient Concept
Greenhouses in concept have existed since ancient Rome. The cucumber-loving emperor Tiberius indulged in the vegetable daily. Of course, not all seasons were perfectly attuned to cucumber growing. His servants and gardeners would plant cucumbers within wheeled carts and move them in and out from the castle during the night and day to keep the plants warm and protected. However, merely tucking the nursery plants inside was not always enough to keep them safe from the elements.
Texts from 13th century Korea described detailed instructions on greenhouse construction in order to grow plants during the cold winters. Ondol was a traditional Korean way of warming homes from underneath the floor and was utilized in gardening to create the first recorded instances of heated greenhouses. Smoke from burning wood would be blown underneath the thick masonry floor, heating it and the home above. Transparent windows allowed sunlight to reach the plants within and could be opened if temperatures ever rose too high.
19th century England was particularly fond of greenhouses. Those built expansive enough to hold sizable trees were referred to as palm houses, found in public gardens and parks. The Industrial Revolution meant that steel and glass were able to be manufactured and installed in ways previously thought impossible, creating the sprawling royal gardens and conservatories that we enjoy today. However, in many projects today, glass is often abandoned in favor of new and highly advanced forms of plastic. The Eden project, completed in 2000, is one of the most striking examples of greenhouses in public works that you can find. Found in Cornwall, England, the Eden Project covers nearly 40 soccer fields underneath its gigantic domed greenhouses, each designed to mimic a particular environment. The tropical biome is the world’s largest indoor rainforest, housing tropical plants such as banana plants, coffee, and bamboo. The domes themselves are constructed out of steel and panels are made out of a highly durable plastic known as ETFE.
What’s so special about a greenhouse?
- Plants are protected from the elements and pests alike. Delicate plants are protected from destructive winds, and tasty flowers are safe from aphids or caterpillars. Storms, snow, and even hail (if your greenhouse isn’t made of glass) are no match for a well-insulated and durable greenhouse.
- The growing season can be extended. In heated, well-equipped greenhouses, some climates can be maintained year-round through careful temperature and humidity controls. In a standard greenhouse, the typical 3 to 4 month growing season can be extended up to 180 days, or 6 months. The length of your available season completely depends on how controlled your greenhouse’s environment manages to be.
- Difficult plants, or those not suited to your environment, can be grown within a greenhouse. Lilies can be grown and picked just in time for a winter wedding, or homemade tomato sauce can be enjoyed year-round. If adequately designed, a hot greenhouse can house some of the most temperamental tropical plants through a bitter winter.
- This one is more about the gardener than the garden. A greenhouse provides shelter from the winter cold, or heavy rains, while still enjoying the outdoors. A warm, green place to enjoy a rainy evening, with front row seats to the show outside, has few challengers when it comes to mindful relaxation.
- Greenhouses provide an excellent source of fresh food immediately ready for preparation at your doorstep. Not only are you certain of where your food comes from, there is no need for complex packaging, shipping, or handling. This is an incredibly sustainable and self-reliant form of feeding you and your family.
