A Short History of Conservatories and Orangeries

Article Written By: happyclap

Conservatories were first used at the end of the renaissance era, built in the grounds of stately homes and public parks they were designed to hold plants over the winter, and were basically a greenhouse. Unheated, they weren't especially warm. Later they were built attached to the main house, heated and used for entertaining.

Eventually they were available to smaller residential properties and became realistically affordable to the general public in the 20th century. They have enjoyed more popularity than orangeries probably due to the fact they are cheaper to build, and are offered by more vendors / agencies.

Orangeries were first used in the 17th century, although one of the first was recorded in 1545 in Padua, Italy. Glass was being produced there at the time, and the Italians had the technology to make larger panes of glass. The first orangeries were practical buildings for keeping citrus trees over the colder months. There wasn't heating and often open fires were built to keep them warm. Later stoves and ovens would be introduced as more maintainable solutions.

John Parkinson mentioned orangeries in Paradisus in Sole Terrestris published in 1628 and some believe he is responsible for introducing orangeries to the UK, The popular idea was to plant the trees against a brick wall in the garden, otherwise known as a fruit wall, which would help to store the heat when any sun shone on it. Fruit walls are still used today by many gardeners.

The first English orangery shelters were simple wooden lean-to's, with a waxed cloth thrown over, or iron hooks were attached to big wooden boxes to move trees to warmer locations. The buildings became more complex after the eighty years war, when they became much more fashionable across Europe, specifically in Germany, France and The Netherlands.

The trend was established in large part by the number of merchants importing citrus, banana, pomegranates and other plants. Most of the trees and plants grown in orangeries between the 17th and 19th centuries were not expected to flower or fruit, instead it was usually kept as a status symbol. Due to the poor heating technology available, it would have been very difficult to maintain the required temperatures for proper flowering.

Having an orangery made a house look more fashionable or wealthy. They were built in very ornate fashion to complement the existing architecture. Both benefitted in the nineteenth century from the advent of the glazed roof, and this contributed to their popularity. It was during this period that, like the conservatory, they became an attachment to a main house, and began to be used for parties or entertaining.

Consider it in your home as it is flexible and adaptable for many situations, whether relaxing in the summer or entertaining in evenings.

About the Author

Walkers Window Company is the main uPVC installation experts for Mirfield, Huddersfield and Yorkshire building Wooden and Hardwood Orangeries.

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