How to make your own winter garden in just a bay window — no conservatory or greenhouse required
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Today, we take greenhouses and conservatories for granted.
They give us year-round wonder at Kew and the Chelsea Physic Garden, and mean we can eat sun-loving peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers throughout the winter.
But this hasn’t always been the case.
While glass and windows have existed for a long time, greenhouses have not.
In Britain this was partly due to taxes that were not repealed until the mid-19th century.
The palm and temperate houses at Kew were built in the years after the glass tax was lifted in 1845.
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In May 1851, Crystal Palace opened in Hyde Park to house the Great Exhibition — and two months later the window tax was repealed.
This made it easier for those with the means to build protected winter gardens to hold tropical and subtropical plants through the colder months.
These gardens became popular across the country, first in bigger homes before becoming more affordable for the middle classes.
You can create your own version with a conservatory, a glazed balcony or even just a bay window.
Winter gardens are the ideal spot for starting seeds off in spring and keeping plants that need a little extra warmth alive through winter.
They are also the perfect place to rear your houseplant collection — simulate a jungle feel by gathering the plants together in your well-lit glazed space.
Houseplants like growing in communities.
It is nice to think this is because they enjoy the company of other plants — and in nature there is a degree of truth in this. In pots at home the science is lacking, but there is the potential benefit of combined humidity and a favourable microclimate.
You should ensure the temperature does not drop below about 12C, but make sure none of the plants is too close to the radiator — if some are, make sure you can check easily if they need watering, because they might be prone to drying out.
By positioning your plants in a winter garden, you are immediately improving their chances of surviving the darker months.
Place a chair there, too, and, surrounded by tropical greenery, you can be transported away from cold and damp London to somewhere else entirely.