Conservatory (greenhouse)
**Overview of Conservatories:**
– Municipal conservatories display tropical plants and hold flower displays.
– Architecture varies from Victorian glasshouses to modern styles like geodesic domes.
– Found worldwide in private gardens, parks, and botanical institutions.
– Smaller garden conservatories are popular for horticulture and recreation.
**History and Evolution of Conservatories:**
– Originated in the 16th century for cultivating citrus fruits.
– Flourished in the 19th century in England due to advancements in glass and heating technology.
– Key examples include Kew Gardens’ Great Palm House and the Crystal Palace.
– Modernization post-World War II with insulated glass.
– Contemporary focus on energy-efficient glass technologies.
**Prominent Conservatories Around the World:**
– Australia: Ballarat Botanical Gardens, Bicentennial Conservatory in Adelaide, Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne.
– Austria: Palmenhaus Schönbrunn.
– Belgium: Royal Greenhouses of Laeken.
– Canada: Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton, Bloedel Floral Conservatory in Vancouver, Climatron in St. Louis, Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul, United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.
**Design and Construction of Conservatories:**
– Types: Lean-to, Edwardian, Victorian, P-shaped, Lantern conservatories.
– Materials: uPVC, aluminum, wood, glass, polycarbonate.
– Definition and Purpose: Structure attached to a building for cultivating plants, providing protection, and enhancing property aesthetics.
**Benefits, Maintenance, and Care of Conservatories:**
– Benefits: Increases living space and property value, connects to outdoors, creates a tranquil environment, enhances natural light, offers versatile space.
– Maintenance: Regular cleaning, checking for leaks and drafts, inspecting seals, pruning plants, monitoring temperature and humidity levels.
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A conservatory is a building or room having glass or other transparent roofing and walls, used as a greenhouse or a sunroom. Usually it refers to a space attached to a conventional building such as a house, especially in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, especially in America, it can often refer to a large freestanding glass-walled building in a botanic garden or park, sometimes also called a palm house if tall enough for trees. Municipal conservatories became popular in the early 19th century.
