History Of The Greenhouse

The Romans, in their wisdom, were the first people to use a structure to give plants protection. They used heated pits covered with translucent slabs of rock to form primitive greenhouses.

It was, however in the days of the great explorers that the glasshouse (to give it its correct name) came into its own in the 17th and 18th centuries. Strange exotic plants and seeds were being bought back to this country, from far distant lands.

It was then that the fun started! How to care for these incredible plants? The early greenhouse designers mistakenly assumed that heat was critical, more important than light.

In fact the very early buildings had heavy frameworks which tended to exclude light but by 1800 a renaissance in greenhouse design was beginning to happen. It was the repeal of the glass tax in 1845, which allowed the designers (and the plants) to blossom.

It was found that a curved roof offered greater concentrations of rays of the sun and that by using cast-iron rather than wood, more delicate structures could be made allowing more light in but increasing the strength of the building.

A name synonymous with these developments was Joseph Paxton. In 1842 he constructed the world famous Palmhouse at Kew Gardens. 110 meters long, 30 meters wide and over 20 meters high! Quite a greenhouse! Just nine years later the Crystal Palace was designed and constructed by Paxton.

The biggest improvements in materials and design have only come in the last 30 – 40 years and now the domestic greenhouse is an integral part of any garden.