If you ever come across one of these in a local junk shop – grab it! This French style Victorian terrarium would cost you around £20,000 to buy, an indication that these indoor gardens are back in style. The idea of keeping plants sealed in glass boxes changed the history of the world.
In 1829 Dr Nathaniel Ward, frustrated that his ferns wouldn’t grow in the heavily polluted air of his home near St Katherine’s Docks, noticed that a seedling was very happy in a sealed jar which he was keeping a specimen moth in. The moth died but the fern kept growing. Ward developed large glazed boxes with moisture resistant hardwood frames which he called Wardian cases. His friendship group included many famous botanists who saw the potential of this invention for transporting plants safely from all over the world. Robert Fortune was able to transport tea from China to Assam, the Para rubber tree was taken from Brazil to Malaysia and Ceylon and the Chinese banana to Fiji. 
The Victorian orchard craze would have been impossible and a huge number of exotic species growing in our botanic gardens would never have survived the journey.
Victorian families took to the glass garden and made elaborate boxes which became more commonly known as terrariums. I believe they are making a bit of a come-back, after a brief revival in the 70s, – I think it would be fun to get a period one if possible – maybe not quite as fancy as these ones.
