Georgian Conservatories

I have an interest in the development of the conservatory and my knowledge of Georgian Conservatories has just been expanded after finding an old gardening book published in 1823 that contains an interesting few pages about the use and technology in Georgian Conservatories of the time.

It was written by John Buonarotti Papworth, a noted designer and architect of the time who was a founder member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He designed everything from handkerchiefs to room interiors and buildings.

The book is splendidly and long-windedly titled: HINTS ON ORNAMENTAL GARDENING: Consisting of a series of designs for garden buildings, useful and decorative gates, fences, railings, &c. Accompanied by observations on the principles and theory of rural improvement, interspersed with occasional remarks on Rural Architecture.

This is what he has to say about conservatories:

"THE attention bestowed by gardeners of this country to plants introduced from every quarter of the globe has made it necessary to erect buildings for their preservation and culture; and to so great an extent has the means been carried by the scientific, to create and govern artificial temperature, that many exotic plants and fruits have arrived at a perfection with us, rarely known to the country whence they were obtained."

He then goes on to write about the technology used to heat the tend the plants within which has reached "near to its perfection." Before going on to write (and I love the sixth word here):

"The conservatory is a building contradistinguished from forcing houses of every description, and as its name implies, is chiefly used for the preservation of plants, although vines are sometimes trained within it. The means consist in the capability of affording shelter to delicate plants from the winds and rains; in equalizing the temperature of the seasons, and of the day and night-in the summer it is rather devoted to display than to protection, but in the cold months, the stoves provided to create artificial heat are occasionally brought into action, and whether heated by smoke flues or by steam, the building possesses a suitable and equal temperature-and thus the conservatory seems to be privileged against the severer laws of nature, and its inmates flourish in one eternal spring."

I think he would have been interested in current conservatory heating methods. Finally, while I agree with the first half of his final paragraph on the subject, since to this day a conservatory is a very attractive room to add to a property, I am less inclined to agree with him on the aviary, fountains and fish basins. But perhaps that's because I haven't been asked to build an enormous conservatory...yet!

The conservatory is a very desirable appendage to the mansion itself, and forms in such cases, one of its most interesting apartments; indeed, it presents such an endless source of amusement at all seasons and all times, that its frequent adoption may be well expected:-coloured glass may be introduced in several parts of the conservatory with admirable effect; and if the aviary, small fountains of water, and basins of gold and silver fish, be introduced as embellishments, the conservatory may be rendered as ornamental as any part of the building.