Sutton Garden Club

Wardian Cases

I Stopping at a local nursery greenhouse, to find plants for my terrarium project, and had the pleasure of chatting with the husband and wife owners. After explaining to them what I was planning to do and how I had become interested in terrariums, I listened to the fascinating story of how the terrarium evolved. This is what I learned.

It all started with butterflies! In the early 1800's, Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward had become curious about the development of butterflies from their chrysalis. He placed a stick, with a chrysais attached, in a jar and carefully observed it as it went through it's various stages of development. Unfortunately, he neglected to cover the jar and the butterfly escaped. So the next time he put the chrysalis in the jar, he covered it. During the time the jar sat waiting for the butterfly to emerge, a most amazing thing happened! A fern seedling and blade of grass grew in the jar. This may not seem all that amazing to us, but Mr. Ward lived at a time when the main heating source was soft coal and the air was full of it's sooty pollution. Ferns did not survive in gardens there! He surmised that the closed container had protected the plants from the polluted air and the moisture appearing on the glass contributed to it's health.

To experiment with other plants, larger cases needed to be built. In order to construct them from the then rare and expensive glass, broken pieces were soddered together with lead in  the same manner that stained glass windows were made. In 1842, Nathaniel Ward published "On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases". The glazed cases were named Wardian Cases and became extremely popular in the Victorian era.

The story doesn't end there. In the early 1800's, the British were emptying their prisons and sending the inmates to the penal colonies in Australia. An aquantainance of Ward's wrote him of his longing to see, once again, the beautiful flowers of England. Off to the docks went Mr. Ward with his 'Wardian Case' planted with some of England's beauties. He asked the captain of the ship to deliver them to his friend. Seven months later, they arrived- in near perfect condition! Note: Prior to the use of the Wardian Case, attempts at transporting plants had failed, in part, due to the population of hungry rats on board the cargo ships. 

 In 1843, The Horticultural Society of London sent Robert Fortune to the Celestial colonies (China) for the sole purpose of plant exploration. He was extremely successful in introducing plants that would become popular in cultivation in the West and would transform the European and American gardens and landscapes into what we see today. His success in sending living plants to Europe and America was attributed to his use of the Wardian Case.

There's more! The British had fallen in love with Chinese tea but China had restricted it's trade of this commodity. The British government had made several attempts at transporting the tea plants to it's colonies in India but had failed. You guessed it! The Wardian Case enabled the succesful establishmment of tea plantations in India.

OK, now where do we get the word terrarium. As the story goes, the art of growing plants in the 'closely glazed cases,' called Wardian Cases, had also become extremely popular in France. However, the French intensely disliked anything British! Forever the artist and poet, the French renamed the Wardian Cases, 'terrariums' or little earth.

Pretty cool!

Terrariums: A Winter Garden

Imagine a minature gardenscape in a beautiful glass bowl in your home. A scene with ferns, mosses, blooming plants, stones and tiny figures, if you choose. It's easy, inexpensive and a fun project for adults and children. And, you can make a terrarium in less than an hour!

Any clear, glass container will work, from a small bowl, to one with a pedestal or an old aquarium. Check out discount stores, consignment shops and flea markets to find what'll work for you. The size and shape of your container will determine the number of plants you purchase. The plants you'll use are generally small houseplants which can be purchased for a couple of dollars. Design your garden outside the container. It's much easier to move items around on a tabletop than inside the jar or bowl.

Supplies: Glass container, plants, small pebbles, charcoal, potting soil and sand, if you wish. Hint: Tongs might be helpful to get plants into containers with small necks.

Wear gloves.

1.Sprinkle the pebbles into the container to cover the base.

2. Add a layer of charcoal (found in garden shops and aquarium stores). Mix the pebbles and charcoal together.

3. Add a 2-3 inch layer of potting soil and tamp it down.

4. Dig a pocket in the soil for each plant. Place the plant in the pocket and firm the soil around it. Make sure no roots are exposed. Water the plants lightly in place.

5. Complete your design by adding stones, sea shells, figurines, etc.

Location is key to success. Terrariums should not be placed in direct sunlight. Indirect light is best. An east or west facing window, away from the burning rays of the sun, is a good choice.

If the terrarium is open at the top, you may need to water it once a week. If it's covered, it will need water less often. Open the lid every 10-14 days to allow it to air out for one half a day. Don't fertilize! The goal is to keep the plants dwarf. Tend your glass garden by pruning, as needed, removing spent blooms and dividing.

Plant suggestions: Shade loving plants like ferns, spike or club moss, ivies, orchids, african violets, begonias and even carnivorous plants.

Let loose your imagination!

January/February 2010 Yankee Magazine, pg 70: 'Winter Green -For houseplants without the hassle, grow them in a terrarium' by Tovah Martin

For more suggestions, plans and photos, pick up a copy of 'The New Terrarium: Creating Beautiful Displays for Plants and Nature' by Tovah Martin and Kindra Clineff (Clarkson Potter, $25.)

Credits: Photo (top left) by Kerry Michaels.