Winter garden

The origin of the winter garden dates back to the 17th to 19th centuries where European nobility constructed large conservatories that housed tropical and subtropical plants and acted as an extension of their living space.

Earlier versions were constructed of masonry with large windows and a glass roof, usually in the Classical or Gothic styles.

[2] Other winter gardens, such as the Crystal Palace by Sir Joseph Paxton in 1851, were soon built and used for a variety of purposes.

One basic premise to the winter garden in temperate or colder regions is that the plants may become dormant when snow covers the ground, but will grow each time the sun heats at least part of the plant to above freezing temperature, even if there is snow.

This is especially the case in regions where snow cover and below-freezing temperatures are not constant for months at a time.