History of Glasshouses

The earliest people to use heat for growing plants were the Greeks and Romans. They realised that most plants like warmth.

These days, it is in countries like Britain that heat is needed during the winter months to grow many plants.

Glasshouse (or greenhouses as they can also be called), are special houses made mainly of glass. The glass traps the heat of the sun. Plants thrive in this artificial climate. Extra heat may be provided when the sun is weak and the weather is cold.

The earliest greenhouses date back to the 17th century. These were great big structures, made of stone with small windows. They were used for the cultivation of Orange trees which had been brought here from warmer countries, by sailors and explorers.

One of these old greenhouses, or Orangeries as they are called, can be seen at Margam Park, near Porthcawl, South Wales.

Early greenhouses were not successful because they had small windows and little light. At the time, glass was very expensive and could not be produced in large quantities. The greenhouses were heated by huge coal fires. The houses were very large and built to resemble the large country houses in whose grounds they stood. Only the very wealthy had greenhouses and the plants lived in much better conditions than many of the working people at that time.

One early greenhouse was the Great Palm House at Kew Gardens in London. This is still in use today. It is well over a hundred years old and is heated to a jungle climate. It houses massive tropical trees such as Palms. Another famous greenhouse was the Conservatory at Chatsworth house. This has now been demolished as it was so expensive to heat.

These days, glasshouses are small, made mainly of glass with a wooden, metal or plastic frame. Most people can afford one and even small gardens can accommodate a glasshouse.

We can use them to grow fruit and vegetables out of season. We can start off Bedding plants in March to plant out in the garden in summer. We can also grow many House plants e.g. Spider plants and Geraniums, which come from much warmer countries than ours and would not survive the winter out in the garden. Cacti also like the warm conditions in the glasshouse.

A famous Welsh glasshouse can be seen at the National Botanical Gardens near Llanarthne.