[Sansevierias] what some gardeners do

    *  Metal & clay cloches

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 02:00 AM PST

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Terracotta rhubarb forcer with lid

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A bell-shaped terracotta rhubarb forcer with lid, about 13" high

Although it is clear that I favor the glass cloche, in the interest 
of fairness, we will look at a few alternative types of cloches from 
the 17th, 18th, & 19th centuries, some still in use today. They 
deserve equal time, and this is my attempt at trying to be "fair & balanced."

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Handmade terra-cotta cloches have existed nearly as long as the 
blown-glass examples. They often have ventilation holes to prevent 
spoilage from excessive heat & humidity.

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Gardeners usually used terra-cotta cloches slow the growth of lettuce.

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Terre cotta rhubarb pots at Knightshayes Garden, Tiverton, Devon, England

Other terra-cotta cloches, often about 30" high & similar in shape to 
chimney pots, were used for forcing rhubarb. Some of these had lids.

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Barnsdale Gardens, Exton, Oakham, Rutland, England.

Gardeners also used metal-framed glass cloches during the period.

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In metal-framed cloches, one of the glass panes could be removed by 
the gardener for fresh air ventilation. Sometimes gardeners 
temporarily would paint the glass white to shade tender plants from 
direct sunlight.

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Audley End Kitchen Garden, English Heritage, Essex, England

Today, these architectural tents or pavilions are more often employed 
for decorative purposes.

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I found only one depiction of a completely metal cloche made in 
France about 1900.

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Let me close by admitting what you surely already realize, I just 
love those plain, bell-shaped glass cloches...


Inside the Beautiful Glass Cloche

Posted: 09 Jan 2014 05:38 AM PST

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Twitter explanation of this image:  "New model houses built within 
railway arches on the London & Greenwich Railway, 1835. An idea that 
didn't catch on."

I am fairly certain that all this snow and cold has me in its 
grip.  I saw this depiction on Twitter this morning and was 
mesmerized by the wonderful cloches in the foreground.  I just had to 
share this post with you. And, yes, I do know that this is the dead 
of winter here in the Chesapeake.

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About 1630, blown-glass cloches were first mentioned in gardening 
treatises. As we noted on the Garden History blog, John Evelyn 
(1620-1706) included bell glasses in his Elysium Britannicum, or The 
Royal Gardens in Three Books. The beautiful, classic garden cloche is 
a bell-shaped glass vessel with an open bottom.

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Using an incubating cloche in the early spring or late fall garden is 
an ideal way to protect infant seedlings. When unpredictable spring 
weather offers up a cold snap or chance of frost, the vigilant cloche 
acts as a miniature greenhouse.

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Cloches hold in heat & moisture and offer shelter during bursts of 
strong spring winds.

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Using a cloche, when delicate plants are their most vulnerable, is a 
totally organic way to protect them from deer, birds, slugs, & other 
pests, which abound up here in our woods.

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However, you should watch on particularly sunny days, that covered 
young plants don't scorch in the hot sun.

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  Beningborough Hall, North Yorkshire, England

During high humidity, you should also be on the lookout for mildew. 
When it's particularly hot or moist, you can temporarily remove the 
cloche or prop it up with a stick or small rock to let a bit of heat 
out & to allow the air to circulate.

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In spring, delicate young seedlings can be planted out weeks earlier 
than would otherwise be feasible under the protection of a prudent 
cloche. Using a cloche will also extend the season for crops in the 
autumn by up to 3 weeks.

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  Beningbrough Hall & Gardens, Beningbrough, York, North Yorkshire, England

The curved shape allows the surface of the cloche to always be 
perpendicular to the direction of the sun thereby achieving minimum 
refraction & maximum penetration of light. A very simple but efficient tool.

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  Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia

The obvious limitation of a bell cloche is its capacity. A cloche is 
usually capable of covering only a single plant or a tiny collection 
of small seedlings. For gardening on a larger scale the cloche 
becomes somewhat impractical, but it always remains beautiful.