The History of the Greenhouse

Did you know that the modern greenhouse had its origins in Roman times? Even then early gardeners were trying to extend the growing season year round. The earliest versions of the greenhouse, "botanical"
, were wheelbarrows that were used to cart plants outside to the sun during the winter, and back inside during the night. The plants were stored under oiled clothes or mica sheets to help them stay warm. Later in the thirteenth, "botanical"
, century, Italians built the first modern greenhouses to contain plants that were brought back by explorers from around the world.



These attempts to control temperature and light conditions, "botanical"
, to protect tropical plants were not always successful and required a great deal of, "botanical"
,, "botanical"
, work, but were the basis for botanical gardens we enjoy today. With the Renaissance came a greater interest in botany which resulted in, "botanical"
, improvements in design and technology. The first truly successful greenhouses were designed to protect orange, "botanical"
, trees from, "botanical"
, the cold weather in France; later on, this same technology was extended to assist in growing pineapples.



Since the cost of glass, workers,, "botanical"
, and plants was extravagant, only the very wealthy could afford to, "botanical"
, maintain a greenhouse. Greenhouses became more, "botanical"
, elaborate and larger as the centuries passed, increasingly being used to house huge collections of foreign plants. The greenhouse at Versailles and those, "botanical"
, at Kew Gardens are prime examples, "botanical"
,, "botanical"
, of the scope and range of later greenhouses.



The largest greenhouses today are used primarily for commercial reasons or for botanical gardens. Greenhouses allow growers to control temperature, humidity, pollination, and many other critical factors. For botanists,, "botanical"
, greenhouses provide a safe place to grow otherwise fragile species, "botanical"
, of plants and to experiment with plant genetics. It is hard to believe that wheelbarrows, "botanical"
, covered with sheets of mica have come so far.



Today, just about anyone can get their own greenhouse for the backyard, "botanical"
, . Online vendors have some amazing products that allow you to join in this centuries old tradition. for more details log on to this site:- http://www.cheapseeds.com/greenhouses-and-accessories.html