The History of Greenhouse Gardening

Image Source: Biodiversity Heritage Library

Have you ever been curious about greenhouse gardening and how it came to exist? I've definitely wondered who first decided that gardens should be inside and not outside. Well, if you are as curious as I am about the history of greenhouses, keep reading.

For centuries, humans have tried to control their environment in order to successfully produce fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other plants. It was recognized very early that this kind of control would allow for an abundance of food crops even if they were out of season. This type of usefulness, if properly harnessed could change the world of gardening and it has, whether you are thinking about growing crops or growing decorative plants like flowers, greenhouses have made their mark on the world.

There is evidence pointing toward ancient Greek and Roman gardeners attempting to create indoor gardens, though they were not very successful. At this point in history, greenhouses were not actual buildings yet and the greenhouse effect was used in a very rudimentary way. It’s been documented that Roman Emperor Tiberius ate a type of cucumber all year round, and his gardeners grew the plants in carts with wheels that they kept outside during the peak sun hours and then brought inside to retain heat overnight.

Sometime later, greenhouses were used in Korea, for the royals of course, because who else could afford such a luxurious technology? Supposedly, the first description of a greenhouse similar to a modern structure was described in a cookbook used for the royal family. The most interesting part of the described Korea greenhouse was that it used the traditional Korean heating system which is under the floor. The walls were made of a natural material called cob which kept heat and the windows were made of oil mulberry paper which protected the plants, but allowed light to pass into the structure. Historical documents show that oranges were grown during a winter with the use of this early style of greenhouse.

Much later, there appears to have been attempts to create what were known as orangeries in France. These early greenhouse gardens were created to grow citrus fruit for the French upper class as citrus fruits were seen as a symbol of wealth and luxury. In other European geographies, farmers experimented with heated building structures built with glass to draw in the sun’s light. The desire to control farming yield all year, regardless of climate was very strong. Early greenhouses often required a large amount of work to winterize or close in the evenings and make matters worse, creating just the right environment for plants to thrive was difficult.

The Victorian era was primetime for greenhouses, and greenhouse technology was being innovated by architects. History shows that greenhouse structures became larger and more elaborate as they were designed using larger, curved panes of glass, and included more architectural flourishes like domes and towers. Greenhouses during this era began to house even larger expanses of land than ever before, many acres would be enclosed within these newer structures. Additionally, these greenhouses were home to plants that came from various parts of the world, beautiful rare and exotic plants became the focus, while food crops became less important. In Britain, for example, plants from colonized lands were brought back, documented, and put on display to show the sheer variety of vegetation that spanned across the empire. 

Greenhouses offered a year-round gardening experience for those who lived in climates with harsh winters. This proved to be very important over time as some of the food crops that were introduced to European lands would not flourish all year in their new harsher climate. 

Our current-day greenhouses are primarily made of wood, metal, plastic, and glass. Paired with modern technology, we are now able to control the indoor climate much more precisely than we ever have before in the history of greenhouse gardening. Technology has advanced so much that climate control in greenhouse gardens can be automated for several days without any need for the gardener to be present. Greenhouse climates can now be monitored remotely thanks to digital thermostats and remote system controls. The kind of equipment you find in modern greenhouses is probably beyond what any of the originators ever could have imagined.

Another exciting aspect of greenhouse history is that they are no longer reserved for the rich or upper-class with a taste for out of season fruits and vegetables. Greenhouses are now available to anyone who has the space and they can be built to fit an individual’s budget. Greenhouses are much more attainable, you might have a few neighbors gardening this way without even realizing it.

In this day and age, we often see greenhouses when we visit arboretums and botanic gardens, making greenhouses appear to be more of a leisure structure, they are still used for commercial food farming. For example, many northern European countries make use of commercial greenhouses in order to grow fresh food staples despite less than ideal climates. The Netherlands makes great use of greenhouse technology, they have some of the largest food production greenhouses in the world.

Looking beyond the history of greenhouses and into their future, greenhouses have the potential to provide a controlled climate for people, not just plants. A greenhouse designed for human life could make it possible to inhabit very harsh climates like the desert or even the Arctic. Taking it one step further, a greenhouse for human life could be a possible answer for living on planets other than Earth. Think about how many houses and apartments contain systems for cooling and heating, especially those that are now automated, and it doesn’t seem too far-fetched.

Another use for greenhouses is housing solar panels, these panels can provide energy for the greenhouse and other structures. Greenhouses are ideal hosts for solar panels because they are usually built on the sunniest areas of a property. There is at least one company in California that uses greenhouses with solar panels in order to provide power for its oil recovery.

Did you know there are other names for greenhouses? Greenhouses are also referred to as glasshouses and hothouses. Now that we know a little more about the history of greenhouses, I guess we will just have to see how far they can go! The possibilities for greenhouses are tremendous and full of promise.