Flowers are so universally loved and accepted every where as necessities of a moral life,
that
whatever can be done to render their cultivation easy, and to bring
them to perfection in the vicinity of, or within the household, must
be regarded as a benefaction.
But in the midst of the
smoke and the dust of the city there is but one way to have real
verdure, in the freshness of their original strenght and life, and
that is, by the culture of it in Wardian cases.
( I fiori sono universalmente amati e visti in ogni dove quale necessità per una vita eticamente intesa tanto che tutto ciò che si può fare per rendere la loro coltivazione facile, e per farli vivere al meglio in prossimità o all'interno del focolare domestico, deve essere considerato alla stregua di un opera buona. Ma in mezzo al fumo e alla polvere della città, non c'è che un modo per avere del verde, nella freschezza della sua forza e della sua vitalità originaria, se non coltivandolo nelle Wardian cases. )
Flowers for the parlor and
garden by Edward Sprague Rand Jr., illustrations
by John Andrew and A.C. Warren,
Cambridge,
Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876,
page 233
Figlio della Londra vittoriana, studioso di medicina, ma grande amante di entomologia e botanica, il Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791 - 1868) sognava di rivestire le pareti del proprio walled garden di felci e muschi, ... davvero un sogno, nella Londra avvolta dalla grigia atmosfera dello 'smokey fog', da cui la contrazione in smog, un sogno che egli cullava da che, poco più che fanciullo, aveva compiuto un viaggio in terre tropicali ed era rimasto colpito dalla lussureggiante vegetazione che le caratterizzava in ogni dove.
Fu nel 1829 che Mr.Ward collocò la pupa di una sfinge ( un lepidottero N.d.A. ) in una muffa, dentro una contenitore cilindrico in vetro, fornita di un coperchio, in modo da ottenere un perfetto esemplare di insetto. Dopo un po' tempo, un piccolo segno o due di vegetazione apparvero sulla superficie della muffa, e con sorpresa, queste si rivelarono essere una felce ed un erba. Il suo interesse fu così solleticato; mise il barattolo in una situazione favorevole, e scoprì che le piante continuarono a crescere e a mantenere un aspetto sano. Interrogandosi sulla questione, le risposte prontamente vennero da sè: l'aria, l'umidità, la luce, e gli altri requisiti delle piante, erano contenuti all'interno della bottiglia. Questa fu la prima Wardian case. 1, page 233
Con il nome di Wardian case s'intendono piccole serre in miniatura che si arricchirono di fregi in legno ed in metallo per assumere fogge sempre più fantasiose ed artificiose con più cresceva la loro popolarità ed il loro divenire indispensabili complementi di arredo per il soggiorno o il giardino d'inverno della dimora di ogni Lady appartenente ad una famiglia mediamente agiata;
spesso venivano riposte negli ampi vani dei bow windows in modo che non facesse loro difetto la luce, che comunque mai doveva essere diretta in quanto già generosamente riverberata dai sottili vetri che la componevano e veri e propri artisti si dilettarono a crearne alcune che combinavano questo terrario con un acquario in cui le radici delle piante sfioravano la superficie dell'acqua - tale combinazione fu denominata nei paesi di lingua anglofona Warrington Case -
oppure autentici mobili che completavano l'arredo dell'angolo verde in cui venivano collocati.
Ma torniamo alla loro storia per meglio comprendere il motivo principale che diede loro successo, poichè se divennero pregevoli complementi d'arredo, esse rappresentarono innanzitutto una delle scoperte botaniche ed economiche più importanti dell'epoca vittoriana.
Dopo il successo riscosso da questo esperimento tutta l’Inghilterra iniziò a usare i terrari,
sia per le coltivazioni cittadine che per le spedizioni via mare e Loddiges potè constatare che il tasso di sopravvivenza delle piante era cresciuto dallo 0.1 al 90%.
..jpg)
You're the Star - HOME
BLUE MONDAY
LET'S TALK VINTAGE
OH MY HEARTSIE GIRLS FRIDAY FEATURES
Figlio della Londra vittoriana, studioso di medicina, ma grande amante di entomologia e botanica, il Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791 - 1868) sognava di rivestire le pareti del proprio walled garden di felci e muschi, ... davvero un sogno, nella Londra avvolta dalla grigia atmosfera dello 'smokey fog', da cui la contrazione in smog, un sogno che egli cullava da che, poco più che fanciullo, aveva compiuto un viaggio in terre tropicali ed era rimasto colpito dalla lussureggiante vegetazione che le caratterizzava in ogni dove.
Fu nel 1829 che Mr.Ward collocò la pupa di una sfinge ( un lepidottero N.d.A. ) in una muffa, dentro una contenitore cilindrico in vetro, fornita di un coperchio, in modo da ottenere un perfetto esemplare di insetto. Dopo un po' tempo, un piccolo segno o due di vegetazione apparvero sulla superficie della muffa, e con sorpresa, queste si rivelarono essere una felce ed un erba. Il suo interesse fu così solleticato; mise il barattolo in una situazione favorevole, e scoprì che le piante continuarono a crescere e a mantenere un aspetto sano. Interrogandosi sulla questione, le risposte prontamente vennero da sè: l'aria, l'umidità, la luce, e gli altri requisiti delle piante, erano contenuti all'interno della bottiglia. Questa fu la prima Wardian case. 1, page 233
Con il nome di Wardian case s'intendono piccole serre in miniatura che si arricchirono di fregi in legno ed in metallo per assumere fogge sempre più fantasiose ed artificiose con più cresceva la loro popolarità ed il loro divenire indispensabili complementi di arredo per il soggiorno o il giardino d'inverno della dimora di ogni Lady appartenente ad una famiglia mediamente agiata;
spesso venivano riposte negli ampi vani dei bow windows in modo che non facesse loro difetto la luce, che comunque mai doveva essere diretta in quanto già generosamente riverberata dai sottili vetri che la componevano e veri e propri artisti si dilettarono a crearne alcune che combinavano questo terrario con un acquario in cui le radici delle piante sfioravano la superficie dell'acqua - tale combinazione fu denominata nei paesi di lingua anglofona Warrington Case -
oppure autentici mobili che completavano l'arredo dell'angolo verde in cui venivano collocati.
Ma torniamo alla loro storia per meglio comprendere il motivo principale che diede loro successo, poichè se divennero pregevoli complementi d'arredo, esse rappresentarono innanzitutto una delle scoperte botaniche ed economiche più importanti dell'epoca vittoriana.
Preso dal fervore per la propria scoperta, Ward inizò una serie di esperimenti costruendo terrari
in vetro di dimensioni sempre maggiori giungendo a colmare il suo
giardino ed ogni stanza della sua abitazione; i contatti con la
famosa Loddiges Nursery che sponsorizzava spedizioni esplorative
d'oltremare volte alla scoperta di nuove piante, gli permisero di
vagliare ulteriormente la propria creazione: a quel tempo la
sopravvivenza di piante a viaggi così lunghi era davvero impensabile
e comunque la spedizione di piante sotto vetro non era cosa del tutto
nuova, ma nuovo era il concetto dell’ambiente sigillato non
contaminato dalle condizioni atmosferiche circostanti.
Ward fece quindi costruire
da un carpentiere una cassa per le sperimentazioni, il cui telaio
doveva essere in legno duro e le connessioni il più rigide e
resistenti possibili, al fine di evitare ogni tipo di danno provocato
dalla condensa … ecco nata la prima autentica Wardian case.
Nel 1833 spedì in due
casse alcune felci originarie dell’Inghilterra in Australia e dopo
6 mesi di navigazione il carico sbarcò nel porto di Sydney con le
piante vive ed in perfetta salute: le medesime casse, come su
richiesta, vennero ripulite e colmate di specie native australiane
che prima di allora non si era mai riusciti a trasportare
oltremare; nel febbraio del 1835 il carico salpò e la nave, dopo una
serie di tempeste che la colpirono a Capo Horn, giunse a Londra solo
dopo 8 mesi di navigazione.
Le casse erano sul ponte e
mai erano state aperte nonostante le temperature fossero variate da
-7 a 49 C° e coperte dalla neve durante buona parte del viaggio.
A Londra Ward attendeva
ansioso il rientro della nave con il suo carico; nel suo libro del
1852 si legge: "Non dimenticherò facilmente la gioia di Mr. G. Loddiges, che mi ha accompagnato a bordo, manifestata al vedere l'aspetto sano delle fronde di Gleichenia microphylla [ombrello o felce corallo], una pianta vista per la prima volta in vita in questo paese. "
Dopo il successo riscosso da questo esperimento tutta l’Inghilterra iniziò a usare i terrari,
Immagine pubblicitaria di epoca vittoriana
sia per le coltivazioni cittadine che per le spedizioni via mare e Loddiges potè constatare che il tasso di sopravvivenza delle piante era cresciuto dallo 0.1 al 90%.
Un'ulteriore curiosità:
John Gibson, pupillo di Sir Joseph Paxton - il cui nome è legato alla costruzione del Christal Palace, luogo della Great Exibition di Londra del 1851 - partì per l’India nel 1835 per
conto del duca del Devonshire, in un viaggio che lo tenne lontano
dall’Inghilterra per oltre 2 anni, e riportò al duca più di 80
specie di orchidee diverse, tra cui quello che venne chiamato
Dendrobium devonianum, che fiorì per la prima volta nelle serre di
Chatsworth nel 1840.
Fin qui la storia ufficiale che attesta il successo che le Wardian cases ebbero da un punto di vista scientifico, quella del valore che venne loro attribuito da un punto di vista più propriamente estetico ne fu la chiara e palese conseguenza, dato il gusto vittoriano per le piante ornamentali di origine tropicale e l'importanza che aveva l'allestimento dei vani delle abitazioni per la cultura dell'epoca.
Al di là dei canoni più propriamente estetici, queste piccole serre in
miniatura, affinchè potessero e possano tutt'ora funzionare, devono rispondere a
determinati requisiti: l'altezza dovrebbe essere uguale alla
larghezza; il tetto dovrebbe essere composto da quattro spioventi ed
alto la metà di quanto sono i lati, sormontato da un altro piano
orizzontale di vetro, montato in modo tale da consentire
occasionalmente la ventilazione della Wardian case,
Flowers for the parlor and garden by Edward Sprague Rand Jr., illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876, illustrazione di pag. 235
necessaria soprattutto per
piante da fiore e a foglia larga; è fondamentale che esse siano
fornite di un doppio fondo, con il primo forato, in modo tale che
venga raccolta l'acqua in eccesso che potrebbe danneggiare
irrimediabilmente le radici.
Il terreno non dovrebbe
avere uno spessore superiore a nove pollici ed essere composto, soprattutto per la crescita di felci e lycopodiums, da nove parti di pacciame o terriccio
di foglie; una parte di sabbia fresca, una parte di ghiaia piuttosto
piccola, delle dimensioni non più grandi di un pisello, ed una parte
di stallatico, tritato molto finemente.
Nelle abitazioni vittoriane il
vantaggio delle Wardian cases era quello di garantire una maggiore
umidità rispetto a quella che generalmente si trovava nei 'parlours'
ed un maggiore grado di luminosità, per cui esse consentirono di
crescere specie tropicali anche in ambienti secchi e poco luminosi
quali erano generalmente i soggiorni ed i saloni che l'uso del tempo voleva arricchiti con pesanti ed importanti tendaggi.
Molto spesso il fascino di un'epoca viene espresso da ciò che ne connotava il gusto e questi oggetti d'arte sono di un prestigio difficilmente eguagliabile, autentici soprammobili, urne rese 'vitali' da ciò che contenevano !
Non sempre mi risulta facile ringraziarvi per le parole con cui esprimete il vostro entusiasmo per ciò che qui leggete e mi manifestate il vostro affetto, ma ammetto che spero, ogni volta, di non deludere, almeno, le vostre aspettative e di meritare, sempre, le vostre attenzioni.
E per concludere eccovi alcune curiosità:
• Nel 1851 alla Great Exibition di Londra Ward mise in mostra una bottiglia contente felci e muschi sigillata da più di 18 anni !
• Grazie alle Wardian cases l’Hevea brasiliensis, l’albero della gomma originario di Pará in Amazzonia, venne spedito con successo a Kew, e da lì verso la Malesia e lo Sri Lanka dove nacque la produzione industriale della gomma coloniale inglese.
• Un tipo di muschio originario dell'Africa venne nominato Wardia in onore del Dr.Ward.
• Robert Fortune si servì delle Wardian cases per trasportare 20,000 piante di tè da Shanghai alla regione dell’Assam in India, dove, ancora oggi, si produce uno dei tè più pregiati al mondo.
• L’orchidomania tardo vittoriana fu resa possible grazie alle Wardian cases poichè molte delle piante che ancor oggi abbiamo nei nostri appartamenti sono state raccolte e condotte in Europa dai loro luoghi d’origine proprio per loro tramite.
Grazie infinite miei cari amici e lettori,
a presto ♥
Bibliografia:
- picture 1
that whatever can be done to render thier cultivation easy, and to bring them to perfection in the vicinity of, or within the household, must be regardeda as a benefaction.
Flowers for the parlor and garden by Edward Sprague Rand Jr., illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876, page 233
Son of the Victorian London, student of medicine, but great lover of botany and entomology, Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791 - 1868) dreamed of covering the walls of his walled garden with ferns and mosses, ... it was really a dream, in that London shrouded by the gray atmosphere of the 'smokey fog', from which the contraction in smog, a dream that he rocked since, as little more than a child, he made a trip with his father to the tropics and was struck by the lush vegetation that characterizing those places every where.
It was in the year 1829 that Mr.Ward placed a chrysalis of a sphynx in some mould, in a glass bottle, covered with a lid, in order to obtain a perfect specimen of the insect. After a time, a speck or two of vegetation appeared on the surface of the mould, and to his surprise turned out to be a fern and a grass. His interest was awakened; he placed the bottle in a favorable situation, and found that the plants continued to grow, and maintain a healthy appearance. On questioning himself about the matter, the answers readily presented themselves, inss-much as air, light moisture, and the other requirements of the plants, were contained within the bottle. This was the first Wardian case. 1
With the name of Wardian cases we mean small Victorian greenhouses that were enriched with stylish ornaments in wood and metal to take them more and more fanciful and contrived with the growing of their popularity and their becoming essential as furnishings for the living room or the winter garden of the residence of every well-to-do Lady belonging to a wealthy family;
- picture 2
they were often placed in the spacious rooms of the bow windows in order to it never was them of defect the light, which, however, never had to be direct because already generously reverberated by the thin glass that composed them, and real artists delighted themselves creating some Wardian cases that combined a terrarium with an aquarium, in which the roots of the plants were touching the water surface
- picture 3
or authentic furniture that complemented the green angle in which they were placed.
- picture 4
But let's come back to their history in order to better understand the main reason that gave them success, for, if they became valuable furnishings, they represented fist of all one of the first and most important economic botanical discoveries of the Victorian era.
- picture 5
Taken by the fervor for his discovery, Ward began a series of experiments building ever larger glass terrariums reaching to fill his garden and every room of his house; the contacts with the famous Loddiges Nursery that sponsored expeditions overseas aimed to discover new plants, allowed him to explore further his own creation: at the time the survival of plants during so long travels was unthinkable, and in any case the shipment of plants under glass was not something entirely new, but the concept that was new was the sealed environment not contaminated by the surrounding atmospheric conditions.
Ward then made buikd by a carpenter a case for the experiments, the chassis of which was to be in hardwood and the connections as much rigid and resistant as possible, in order to avoid any kind of damage caused by condensation ... here was born the first real Wardian case.
In 1833 he sent in two boxes some ferns originating in England to Australia and after 6 months of sailing the cargo landed to Sydney Harbour with the plants alive and in perfect health conditions; the same cases, as on demand, were cleaned and filled with species native of Australia that nobody had never been able to carry overseas before; in February 1835 the cargo set sail, and the ship, after a series of storms that hit it by Cape Horn, arrived in London just after 8 months of sailing.
The boxes were on the bridge and never had been opened despite the temperatures were varied from -7° to 49 ° C and they were covered with snow during most of the trip.
In London, Ward was anxiously waiting for the return of the ship with its cargo; in his book of 1852 we may read: “I shall not readily forget the delight expressed by Mr. G. Loddiges, who accompanied me on board, at the beautiful appearance of the fronds of Gleichenia microphylla [umbrella or coral fern], a plant now for the first time seen alive in this country.”
After the success of this experiment they begun to use Wardian cases all England around,
- picture 6 - Advertising sheet of the Victorian era
for both town crops and for shipments by sea and Loddiges could see that the survival rate of the plants had grown from 0.1 to 90%.
Another curiosity: John Gibson, a pupil of Sir Joseph Paxton, whose name is linked to the construction of the Christal Palace, site of the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, left for India in 1835 on behalf of the Duke of Devonshire, in a trip that kept him out of England for over 2 years, and returned to the Duke with more than 80 different species of orchids, including the one that was called Dendrobium devonianum, which flourished for the first time in the greenhouses at Chatsworth in 1840.
So far the official story that attests the success that Wardian cases had from a scientific point of view, the value that was given to them from the strictly aesthetic ones was the clear and obvious result, given the Victorian taste for the ornamental plants of tropical origin and the importance that the preparation of the rooms, for the culture of the time, had.
- picture 7
- picture 8
- picture 9
Beyond the more properly aesthetic canons, these small greenhouses in miniature, so that they could and can still function, had to meet certain requirements: the height should be equal to the width; the roof should be composed of four sloping sides and the top has to be high half of what are the sides, surmounted by another horizontal plane of glass, mounted in such a way as to allow the occasionally ventilation of the Wardian case,
- picture 10 - Flowers for the parlor and garden by Edward Sprague Rand Jr., illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876, illustration of page 235.
necessary especially for flowering and broadleaf plants; it's essential that they are provided with a double bottom, with the first holed, so that the excess of water,which could irreparably damage the roots, is collected.
The soil should have a thickness not exceeding nine inches and be composed, especially for the growth of ferns and lycopodiums, of nine parts of mulch or leaf mold; one part of fresh sand, one of rather small gravel, and one part of manure, chopped very finely.
Inside the Victorian houses the advantage of Wardian cases was to ensure a higher humidity than that they generally had in their lovely 'parlors' and a greater degree of brightness, that's why they allowed to grow tropical species even in dry environments with little light which generally characterized living rooms and salons that the use of the time wanted enriched with heavy and important curtains.
- picture 11
- picture 12
- picture 13
Very often the charm of one era is expressed by what connoted the taste and these works of art have a prestige difficult to beat, they're authentic ornaments, urns made 'vital' by what they contained!
Not always it's easy to me thanking you for the words with which you express your enthusiasm for what you read here and you show your affection to me, but I admit that I hope every time, not to disappoint, at least, your expectations and to deserve, always, your attentions.
And finally here are some curiosities:
• In 1851 the Great Exhibition of London Ward put on display a bottle containing ferns and mosses sealed there for over 18 years !
• Thanks to the Wardian cases the Hevea brasiliensis, the rubber tree native of Pará in the Amazon was successfully sent to Kew, and from there to Malaysia and Sri Lanka where the industrial production of English colonial rubber was born.
• A type of African moss was named Wardia in honour of Dr.Ward.
• Robert Fortune used Wardian cases to transport 20,000 tea plants from Shanghai to the region of Assam in India, where even today it is produced one of the finest tea in the world.
• The late Victorian 'orchidomania' was made possible thanks to Wardian cases because lots of the plants that we still have in our apartments were collected and taken to Europe from their own places of origin through them.
Thank you my dear friends and readers,
see you soon ♥
Bibliography:
Non sempre mi risulta facile ringraziarvi per le parole con cui esprimete il vostro entusiasmo per ciò che qui leggete e mi manifestate il vostro affetto, ma ammetto che spero, ogni volta, di non deludere, almeno, le vostre aspettative e di meritare, sempre, le vostre attenzioni.
E per concludere eccovi alcune curiosità:
• Nel 1851 alla Great Exibition di Londra Ward mise in mostra una bottiglia contente felci e muschi sigillata da più di 18 anni !
• Grazie alle Wardian cases l’Hevea brasiliensis, l’albero della gomma originario di Pará in Amazzonia, venne spedito con successo a Kew, e da lì verso la Malesia e lo Sri Lanka dove nacque la produzione industriale della gomma coloniale inglese.
• Un tipo di muschio originario dell'Africa venne nominato Wardia in onore del Dr.Ward.
• Robert Fortune si servì delle Wardian cases per trasportare 20,000 piante di tè da Shanghai alla regione dell’Assam in India, dove, ancora oggi, si produce uno dei tè più pregiati al mondo.
• L’orchidomania tardo vittoriana fu resa possible grazie alle Wardian cases poichè molte delle piante che ancor oggi abbiamo nei nostri appartamenti sono state raccolte e condotte in Europa dai loro luoghi d’origine proprio per loro tramite.
Grazie infinite miei cari amici e lettori,
a presto ♥
Bibliografia:
Edward Sprague Rand Jr., Flowers for the parlor and garden, illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876,
Citazioni:
1 - Edward Sprague Rand Jr., Flowers for the parlor and garden, illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876, pag. 233
Flowers are so universally loved and accepted every where as necessities of a moral life,
- picture 1
that whatever can be done to render thier cultivation easy, and to bring them to perfection in the vicinity of, or within the household, must be regardeda as a benefaction.
But in the midst of the smoke and the dust of the city there is but one way to have real verdure, in the freshness of their original strenght and life, and that is, by the culture of it in Wardian cases.
Flowers for the parlor and garden by Edward Sprague Rand Jr., illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876, page 233
Son of the Victorian London, student of medicine, but great lover of botany and entomology, Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791 - 1868) dreamed of covering the walls of his walled garden with ferns and mosses, ... it was really a dream, in that London shrouded by the gray atmosphere of the 'smokey fog', from which the contraction in smog, a dream that he rocked since, as little more than a child, he made a trip with his father to the tropics and was struck by the lush vegetation that characterizing those places every where.
It was in the year 1829 that Mr.Ward placed a chrysalis of a sphynx in some mould, in a glass bottle, covered with a lid, in order to obtain a perfect specimen of the insect. After a time, a speck or two of vegetation appeared on the surface of the mould, and to his surprise turned out to be a fern and a grass. His interest was awakened; he placed the bottle in a favorable situation, and found that the plants continued to grow, and maintain a healthy appearance. On questioning himself about the matter, the answers readily presented themselves, inss-much as air, light moisture, and the other requirements of the plants, were contained within the bottle. This was the first Wardian case. 1
With the name of Wardian cases we mean small Victorian greenhouses that were enriched with stylish ornaments in wood and metal to take them more and more fanciful and contrived with the growing of their popularity and their becoming essential as furnishings for the living room or the winter garden of the residence of every well-to-do Lady belonging to a wealthy family;
- picture 2
they were often placed in the spacious rooms of the bow windows in order to it never was them of defect the light, which, however, never had to be direct because already generously reverberated by the thin glass that composed them, and real artists delighted themselves creating some Wardian cases that combined a terrarium with an aquarium, in which the roots of the plants were touching the water surface
- picture 3
or authentic furniture that complemented the green angle in which they were placed.
- picture 4
But let's come back to their history in order to better understand the main reason that gave them success, for, if they became valuable furnishings, they represented fist of all one of the first and most important economic botanical discoveries of the Victorian era.
- picture 5
Taken by the fervor for his discovery, Ward began a series of experiments building ever larger glass terrariums reaching to fill his garden and every room of his house; the contacts with the famous Loddiges Nursery that sponsored expeditions overseas aimed to discover new plants, allowed him to explore further his own creation: at the time the survival of plants during so long travels was unthinkable, and in any case the shipment of plants under glass was not something entirely new, but the concept that was new was the sealed environment not contaminated by the surrounding atmospheric conditions.
Ward then made buikd by a carpenter a case for the experiments, the chassis of which was to be in hardwood and the connections as much rigid and resistant as possible, in order to avoid any kind of damage caused by condensation ... here was born the first real Wardian case.
In 1833 he sent in two boxes some ferns originating in England to Australia and after 6 months of sailing the cargo landed to Sydney Harbour with the plants alive and in perfect health conditions; the same cases, as on demand, were cleaned and filled with species native of Australia that nobody had never been able to carry overseas before; in February 1835 the cargo set sail, and the ship, after a series of storms that hit it by Cape Horn, arrived in London just after 8 months of sailing.
The boxes were on the bridge and never had been opened despite the temperatures were varied from -7° to 49 ° C and they were covered with snow during most of the trip.
In London, Ward was anxiously waiting for the return of the ship with its cargo; in his book of 1852 we may read: “I shall not readily forget the delight expressed by Mr. G. Loddiges, who accompanied me on board, at the beautiful appearance of the fronds of Gleichenia microphylla [umbrella or coral fern], a plant now for the first time seen alive in this country.”
After the success of this experiment they begun to use Wardian cases all England around,
- picture 6 - Advertising sheet of the Victorian era
for both town crops and for shipments by sea and Loddiges could see that the survival rate of the plants had grown from 0.1 to 90%.
Another curiosity: John Gibson, a pupil of Sir Joseph Paxton, whose name is linked to the construction of the Christal Palace, site of the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, left for India in 1835 on behalf of the Duke of Devonshire, in a trip that kept him out of England for over 2 years, and returned to the Duke with more than 80 different species of orchids, including the one that was called Dendrobium devonianum, which flourished for the first time in the greenhouses at Chatsworth in 1840.
So far the official story that attests the success that Wardian cases had from a scientific point of view, the value that was given to them from the strictly aesthetic ones was the clear and obvious result, given the Victorian taste for the ornamental plants of tropical origin and the importance that the preparation of the rooms, for the culture of the time, had.
- picture 7
- picture 8
- picture 9
Beyond the more properly aesthetic canons, these small greenhouses in miniature, so that they could and can still function, had to meet certain requirements: the height should be equal to the width; the roof should be composed of four sloping sides and the top has to be high half of what are the sides, surmounted by another horizontal plane of glass, mounted in such a way as to allow the occasionally ventilation of the Wardian case,
- picture 10 - Flowers for the parlor and garden by Edward Sprague Rand Jr., illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876, illustration of page 235.
necessary especially for flowering and broadleaf plants; it's essential that they are provided with a double bottom, with the first holed, so that the excess of water,which could irreparably damage the roots, is collected.
The soil should have a thickness not exceeding nine inches and be composed, especially for the growth of ferns and lycopodiums, of nine parts of mulch or leaf mold; one part of fresh sand, one of rather small gravel, and one part of manure, chopped very finely.
Inside the Victorian houses the advantage of Wardian cases was to ensure a higher humidity than that they generally had in their lovely 'parlors' and a greater degree of brightness, that's why they allowed to grow tropical species even in dry environments with little light which generally characterized living rooms and salons that the use of the time wanted enriched with heavy and important curtains.
- picture 11
- picture 12
- picture 13
Very often the charm of one era is expressed by what connoted the taste and these works of art have a prestige difficult to beat, they're authentic ornaments, urns made 'vital' by what they contained!
Not always it's easy to me thanking you for the words with which you express your enthusiasm for what you read here and you show your affection to me, but I admit that I hope every time, not to disappoint, at least, your expectations and to deserve, always, your attentions.
And finally here are some curiosities:
• In 1851 the Great Exhibition of London Ward put on display a bottle containing ferns and mosses sealed there for over 18 years !
• Thanks to the Wardian cases the Hevea brasiliensis, the rubber tree native of Pará in the Amazon was successfully sent to Kew, and from there to Malaysia and Sri Lanka where the industrial production of English colonial rubber was born.
• A type of African moss was named Wardia in honour of Dr.Ward.
• Robert Fortune used Wardian cases to transport 20,000 tea plants from Shanghai to the region of Assam in India, where even today it is produced one of the finest tea in the world.
• The late Victorian 'orchidomania' was made possible thanks to Wardian cases because lots of the plants that we still have in our apartments were collected and taken to Europe from their own places of origin through them.
Thank you my dear friends and readers,
see you soon ♥
Bibliography:
Edward Sprague Rand Jr., Flowers for the parlor and garden, illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876,
Quotations:
1 - Edward Sprague Rand Jr., Flowers for the parlor and garden, illustrations by John Andrew and A.C. Warren, Cambridge, Mass. Hurd and Houghton ,1876, pag. 233
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This post was featured by Angie at God's Growing Garden !
As I wrote on her Blog, my heart is filled with joy to overflowing, I have no words to express my surprise and my gladness,
thank you dearest Lady ❥
Another wonderful and interesting post, Dany !
RispondiEliminaThose flower cases and boxes were real art works !
Have a nice weekend, sweet friend !
Hugs,
Sylvia
@ Sylvia
Eliminaas lover of ancient things, I may say that much of that belonging to our past are works of art, and you, having the same passion for everything has a vintage touch, I'm sure, do understand me, don't you ?!?
I wish you a lovely day, dear, thank you so much ❥
I made my own version of this when I was younger. I loved having them in my home. Children especially love these little gardens!
RispondiEliminaWhat a wonderful post. Thank you my friend.
Have a lovely end of the week.
Hugs to you.
@ annie
Eliminayou're an artist, that's more than sure, and everything needing creativity to be realized is your own field !
I wonder how lovely your Wardian case was ... and maybe you've still got it ...
Your visits always bring a breath of sweetness, my dearest friend, thank you for being here !
With much love I wish you too a wonderful weekend ✿⊱╮
A very interesting man, and a wonderful post, Dany.
RispondiEliminaI wish you a beautiful weekend, sweet friend! xo.
@ Lisa
Eliminathank you for your always so beautiful words, my dear friend, have a joy-filled day and a lovely Sunday ahead ♡
Oh, Daniela, you NEVER disappoint our expectations! Your posts are always interesting and full of lovely images! :)
RispondiEliminaI'd love to have enough space for a Wardian Case in my flat.
About the holidays: it would be just lovely to meet you! I will sure consider it, but we are planning to visit both my parents in the North and Zeno's parents in the South, so not sure if we will have enough time. I will let you know, of course! :D
Have a fun-filled weekend! xo
@ Kia
Eliminayou're too kind and sweet, dearie !
You're certainly going oto be far too busy during your holidays in italy ... parents, relatives, friends, your days will be anyway too few ... just think that I've expressed a wish .. maybe it comes true !
Remember that you can easily find my e-mail address and contact me whenever you want :)
ஜ With all my heart I thank you and wish you both a lovely end of the week ஜ
I'd love to meet you, if possible. Yes, yes, it would be wonderful! :)
EliminaSo excited for tomorrow's referendum at the moment. Have a lovely day! xo
Me again. ;) Thanks for your visit, dear Daniela. Those are two panels of the Great Tapestry of Scotland. More than 1000 stitchers from across Scotland came together to produce the whole 160 panels.
Elimina@ Kia
Eliminatomorrow will certainly come into the history of Scotland, so as these panels at their time did .. I remember you wrote a post a few months ago about The Great Tapestry with some great shots, as usual so charming ...
Have a wonderful evening and .. fingers crossed ;)
♥ Huggles ♥
Daniela carissima, un Post splendido , ricchissimo come non mai ! Hai toccato un tema , quello dei fiori , che , insieme ai giardini , mi affascina da sempre . Riuscire a cogliere la bellezza dei fiori , anche nel fiore più umile , è un dono che dà una luce regale alla vita vera .
RispondiEliminaGrazie di cuore !
Felice sabato pomeriggio ,
Franca
@ Franca
Eliminagrazie a te, carissima amica, grazie con tutto il cuore, per le tue parole, sempre così delicate, per la tua sensibilità, per la tua unicità !
Abbracciandoti con affetto ti auguro una splendida serata ed una lieta domenica, ... grazie ancora ❀⊱╮
Questo post lo sento molto mio, essendo grande amante dei fiori. Non posso vivere senza di loro che siano veri, artificiali, stampati su tessuti, dipinti su tele...Ti ringrazio tantissimo per queste rivelazioni. Eh...sì...non sapevo nulla della nascita delle wardian cases! La loro utilità è enorme ma, ma da esteta, ne apprezzo molto di più il loro valore decorativo. Immagini splendide, attraverso le quali, ho immaginato le piccole serre ambientate nelle meravigliose case vittoriane.Ti garantisco che non deludi mai!
RispondiEliminaBacioni
Alessandra
@ Alessandra
Eliminaecco un'altro animo romantico ... !
Non si può prescindere sicuramente dall'utilità delle Wardian cases, questo è indiscutibile, .... ma quanto erano belle ... vero cara amica mia ?
Un caro saluto unito all'augurio di un prosieguo di settimana colmo di serenità, ... ti ringrazio ღ
Mammamia Dany, l'ho letto tutto d'un fiato il tuo post,
RispondiEliminaaltro che deludere. Bellissimo questo spaccato di storia,
sembrerebbe quasi una fiaba a lieto fine e invece è una
bellissima realtà....adoro il verde e i fiori, quindi immagino
la gioia dii questo signore nel vedere realizzati i suoi sogni.
E devo dire che queste "wardian cases" sono molto belle, molto vittoriane.....
Grazie mia dolce Dany e buona settimana
Love Susy ♥
@ Susy
Eliminadavvero, tutto d'un fiato ???
Io adoro leggere racconti e libri tutto d'un fiato ... vuol dire che sono riuscita a trascinare la tua curiosità ed il tuo interesse fino a questo punto ?
Ne sono felicissima, anzi, più che felicissima !!!
Buona serata carissima amica mia, ti ringrazio e ti abbraccio con tanto affetto ♡♡♡
Dolcissima Dany...in vacanza con grandissimo dispiacere ..ho terminato di leggere un bellissimo libro che racconta la storia di una brillante e curiosa donna dell'ottocento che crescendo in un luogo nel quale respira fin dalla più tenera età scienza e cultura,riesce a mettersi in luce nell'ambiente internazionale della botanica....ma guarda guarda che tu sei riuscita con il tuo bellissimo post a farmi provare di nuovo le bellissime sensazioni che ho provato leggendo il libro.
RispondiEliminaSei sempre la migliore...
Baci Anto
@ Anto
Eliminafelicissima di riaverti qui, ammetto di avere avvertito la tua mancanza, la tua e quella delle tue sempre dolci e delicate parole per me !
Stringendoti in un abbraccio ti auguro con tutto il cuore una giornata lieta ed un fine settimana colmo di gioia, carissima ❥
I was delighted to read this account, Dany! I have a small terrarium with two plants (I said it was small!). It's very plain, but I love it - and am now imagining finding one as 1/2 as lovely as the cases you have pictured here! I love the idea of the terrarium above an aquarium! What a wonder it would be to find one! Thank you for this! Have a blessed weekend!
RispondiElimina@ June
EliminaHow lucky you are to have a terrarium in this style, though small, I'm sure it's very nice just for its size !
I also believe that the combination of aquarium and terrarium is something wonderful, I hope you can find one, maybe by some antiquarian ..
Have you too an end of the week filled with Joy, my dearest friend ✿⊱╮
i would love to have a window garden ....
RispondiElimina@ bj
Eliminawhat a lovely surprise this morning, I trust you're doing well darling !
Window gardens are so very beautiful and fulfilling, especially during the cold season, they somehow take the place of our sleeping gardens, besides being such a lovely element which enriches our homes and make them cozier ... the most important thing is to have a window which may receive most of the sunlight during the day.
Enjoy the remainder of your week, sweet friend,
may it be blessed with love •♥•♥•♥•
Thank you so much for linking up with Let's Talk Vintage!
RispondiElimina@ Jillian's Bella Rose Antiques
Eliminait is I who have to thank you, and I do it with so much joy, sweet friend !
Hope you're enjoying a most wonderful weekend ever,
I'm sending hugs & love to you ♡❤♡
Thank you for sharing this sweet post on flowers at Vintage Charm!
RispondiElimina@ My thrift store addiction
Eliminait is I who want to thank you, dear friend, it's my pleasure !
Sending blessings on your day,
may it be filled with joy and wonder ♥¸¸.•¨¯`• ♥
These are awesome! Thank you for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
RispondiElimina@ The Charm of Home
Eliminayou're so heartily welcome, thanks most sincerely sweet friend !
Wishing you a most lovely remainder of your week
with sincere gratitude ಌ•❤•ಌ