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Wardian Cases for a Victorian Indoor Garden

on May 24, 2010 – 3:03 am

The Wardian case or terrarium, whether a grand or small container, is a wonderful way to create your own Victorian indoor garden. The artistic beauty of a fine assortment of ferns and greenery skillfully managed and arranged in these glass cases may well account for the popularity of indoor gardens during the late 19th century.

The simplest form of a fern case is a flower pot with a bell glass that fits close down upon the soil within the rim of the pot, in which one plant alone is planted. The glass shade is movable, thus affording easy access to the plants and permitting the necessary watering and airing to be carried out without much difficulty.

Victorian Wardian cases were large, decorative, and varied considerably in shape. There were a great variety of styles – some cases consisted entirely of zinc and glass, or had their bases of rustic rock, earthenware, or bronzed metal. Some were rectangular and plain; others oblong, with stands decorated with Minton tiles, and having gabled or curvilinear roofs; in fact, there were an infinite variety of styles, enough to suit all tastes.

See a selection of ornate Wardian cases for a Victorian indoor garden here.

Victorian Christmas

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