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Wardian Cases = Miniature Conservatory = Terrarium?

Wardian Case

Indoor Wardian Case from Nathaniel Ward's 1852 Book

 Up to Greenhouse Plans

4/12/99 Question: My parents sent me a miniature conservatory.  I know that I've seen info about planting them, just not sure where.  Any ideas? Sincerely, Anne

4/12/99 Answer: I was getting ready to do a page on terrariums (or Wardian Cases) but haven't gotten around to it yet.  I'm still collecting links and researching the topic.  You may want to search the net on terrariums, terrariums tools, etc.  Here's a few links to check:

4/12/99 More Links!:

4/18/99 And the search continues . . . :

Tabletop Conservatory from Garden.com

If you find any more links, please e-mail me!
Thanks, Joe Zeeben
 http://www.h2othouse.com

3/30/99 Question: Do you know of any source for miniature Victorian-style greenhouses? Have been looking without luck.  Thanks.

3/31/99 Wrong Answer (Small conservatories (not miniature!)):You may want to try British Rose conservatories: http://www.britishrose.com/prod06.html  -- you'll need to e-mail for a quote. There are other companies in my listing that will build to suit: http://www.h2othouse .com/html/kits.html .  Another option is to take a basic model and adorn it similar to  http://homearts.com/cl/garden/05hothf1.htm . The third option is design and build to suit.  If you would like a custom design, let me know the size and style (gothic, gable, cupola, etc.)  and we can e-mail back and forth until we get the price and design worked out.   You can build yourself or hire a local contractor.

3/31/99 Question Rephrased: Thanks for your quick reply.  However, I maybe didn't convey my interest properly.  I'm looking for a miniature, as in tabletop size, greenhouse.  When we were in Savannah, Georgia, in a beautiful bed and breakfast there, we saw an antique one there and wondered if anyone is making new or reproduction ones yet.  Thanks again.

3/31 Another Answer: I have seen those on the net somewhere . . . . It used to be at the top of the search engine for "Victorian Conservatory" now it's several pages down. You may want to search on the key word "terrariums!".  Here's a place that definitely has created terrariums into an art form:  http://www.artmakers.com/glass/terra.html . You could also get a stained glass craftperson to do one up custom. I hope that helps.

3/31 Here's another link I found looking for "Wardian Cases": out there on the web yet; maybe a trip to England would be the ticket!

If I find anything else, I'll let you know.  Fascinating history . . . I think I'll add a page to my web site on Terrariums and Wardian Cases.  It brought back memories of planting terrariums in the 70's -- isn't that scary?  We also did wax candles, macramé, and decoupage.  I guess the whole decade wasn't the era of bad taste . . . .

Good luck!
Joe

4/2 Reply: Ahhh, England, yesss, that just may be the cure for what ails.  (I hate when that happens!)

Thanks for the links!!  I think that adding a page to your site would be a GREAT idea!!  Maybe even some plans (maybe kits??) for miniatures.  I saw a segment on Martha Stewart Living on this subject where she had even made her own greenhouse gardening tools on bamboo sticks so she could "garden" her mini environment without too much disturbance (she's a trip, huh?).

Anyway, let me know if you take this ball and run with it.  Or if you see anything else on the subject.

Nice chatting.  Have a nice day!

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