The Palm House is believed to be the oldest surviving greenhouse in the world. The steel and glass construction was erected in the 1840s. It was the first greenhouse of this size: 110 meters long, 30 meters wide and 19 meters high.
Already in the Roman Empire it was known that plants thrive better if they are carefully nurtured and cared for and, above all, protected from the rigors of the climate. and it is even known that the Romans harvested their lettuce from cold frames covered with parchment as early as spring. In the Middle Ages, however, people who harvested vegetables and lettuce before the regular harvest time were suspected of being in league with the devil. Later, however, it became increasingly popular to collect exotic plants and cultivate them in your own garden or greenhouse. More and more plants were imported from foreign lands that were not frost hardy. Sailors had brought plants from distant countries to Europe from their excursions, and upper society liked to surround themselves with exotic flair - the best example of this was the PINEAPPLE. So solutions were needed as to how they could be overwintered without damage. This was initially reserved for the wealthy citizens, mostly as so-called ORANGERIE or POMERANZHAUS. Especially in the time of the English Empire (Queen Victoria) many magnificent buildings of this kind developed from 1840 onwards.
The culture of extraordinary plants under glass fascinates botanists and laypeople to this day. The plants themselves are attractive to look at, smell pleasant and often yield tasty fruits as well. They also give the illusion that you can go on a variety of journeys through distant countries that are home to exotic flora: tropical orchids, green jungle monsters, African beauties, Mediterranean potted plants - in the greenhouse the whole world gathers in just a few square meters in a very special way at Kew Gardens.....
As early as the first century AD, there is evidence that attempts were made to protect plants from the cold through artificial structures. Glass was extremely rare and valuable at that time. Therefore, massive buildings were usually used for this purpose. Split mica stone was later used as a glass-like material, which was translucent and helped to achieve the desired greenhouse effect, i.e. the transformation of sun rays into heat. The heat development was partly supported by packed animal manure. The further development of glass production and iron processing was accompanied by the triumph of greenhouses.
In Germany, hobby greenhouses only gained a certain importance from 1960 onwards, which is also where the origins of our company's history lie. Until then, only simple wooden structures or foil houses dominated. Through the development of new materials and modern technologies, greenhouses could now be manufactured on a smaller scale at affordable prices. The energy crisis of the 1970s accelerated progress in the field of insulation and heating technology. In parallel with the ever-increasing interest in nature, the number of hobby greenhouses increased rapidly. Today they are an integral part of German gardens.
Translated by Google •
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