Thursday, January 5, 2017

Botanical Conservatories


My fascination with plants began as a teenager when I found the 15 year-old son of a family friend planting petunias in their front flower bed. Seeing a male express love for botany left a deep impression which strengthened years later with the discovery that my father-in-law not only shared the same love, but used it to start his own greenhouse business. When my husband and I retired from our military careers, we bought his father's commercial greenhouse operation. My time was spent between nurturing kids and plants. I loved both jobs. 

And now, years later, with the greenhouses a memory and the children grown, my love for plants has appeared in my newest novella, Sweet Love Grows where I used my botany skills to give my heroine a purpose in life, and the Victorian conservatory as her place of refuge. The following image is the type of conservatory I envisioned, although perhaps double the size for my heiress. I couldn't find a historical source for this abandoned structure, just numerous mentions throughout the web, with some calling it Victorian, and others Edwardian. But this is where I imagined my heroine fulfilling her botany pursuits.




Most 19th century estates contained a conservatory, either free standing like the one I envisioned, or attached to the main house. Orangeries and palm houses were also fashionable. But where a conservatory is glass and iron, an orangery can be described as brick and glass, like the one below. 


Adamson Estate, Library/Orangery, Lakeview, built 1929. Courtesy of Mississauga Library System

This snowy image from the St. Mary's Museum photo collection shows the attached 1907 conservatory and gardens of Westover Park in St. Mary's, Ontario. 


Conservatory and garden at Westover Park, 1907.  Courtesy of St. Marys Museum photo collection.
Conservatories were necessary for the protection of rare and unusual plants from weather and thieves, for out-of-season growing, and for botany experiments that required isolation from other plants and insects that could cause cross-pollination. 

Mill Hill. The Priory.  ca. 1865-ca. 1890.  Courtesy of Cornell University Library.
Attached conservatories like the ones in the above and below images were practical rooms of serenity accessible without going outside to face the elements. However, I wonder how the humidity factor affected natural fabrics, wallpaper, and artwork in the rest of the residence. (From the Flikr photostream of Cornell University Library we find this photograph of a rectangular shaped conservatory.



Foxhill, Reading. Waterhouse's Own Residence  ca. 1867-ca. 1885. Courtesy of Cornell University Library.

The 1884 attached conservatory of the Stephen's residence in Montreal was separated from the sitting area by a half wall which may have contained glass windows, but was unlikely when you look at the plant spikes on the right side of the below photograph which is available courtesy of the wonderful online exhibits of the © McCord Museum


Conservatory, George Stephen's house, Montreal, QC, 1884. Courtesy of © McCord Museum.

The luxurious residence of Toronto business magnate Sir Casmir Gzowski contained an attached conservatory on its six-acre estate known as The Hill. 


Conservatory at The Hall, Toronto, 1896. Courtesy of the Toronto Public Library


The Hill's conservatory doesn't look as elaborate as others of the Victorian era, but a photo of the interior shows potted plants filling the corridor on the way to the domed, or should I say peaked, part of the conservatory.


Conservatory Interior at The Hall, Toronto, 1896. Courtesy of the Toronto Public Library


The luscious setting in the above photograph is what I envisioned while writing Sweet Love Grows. Well, perhaps not the carpet runners as my fictional conservatory is more of a brick walkway footing than a carpeted corridor. 

If you like images of conservatories, orangeries and palm houses, you might like to check out my Conservatory and Greenhouse Pinterest board

In celebration of the release of The American Heiress Brides Collection, I'm holding a giveaway for a Sweet Love Grows Prize Pak:




I have several entry sites set up, but if you haven't entered yet, you can enter right here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Anita Mae Draper's historical romances are woven under the western skies of the Saskatchewan prairie where her love of research and genealogy yields fascinating truths that layer her stories with rich historical details.  Anita's short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, was a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Her novellas are included in Austen in Austin Volume 1, and The American Heiress Brides Collection. Readers can check out Anita's Pinterest boards for a visual idea of her stories to enrich their reading experience.  Discover more at:

23 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the release of The American Heiress Brides Collection. This was a great post about botanical conservatories. I enjoy visiting the one our university has here locally. I love to be outside working in the yard and with flowers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing that, Marilyn. There's something relaxing and rejuvenating even while getting a workout gardening, isn't there? It must have something to do with the hope that our efforts will bring something fresh and wonderful. And of course, the beauty and fragrances help. :)

      I had several photographs and postcards of university and large conservatories ready to add, but they would have made this post too long. Perhaps another post is in order.

      Delete
  2. I would love to read this book. Thanks for letting us know about your giveaway!! And puttering with flowers is one of my favorite things about spring, summer and fall!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Connie, I certainly hope you get a chance to read it. Especially since you used the word, puttering. (*wink - you'll see what I mean if you read Sweet Love Grows)

      Thanks for visiting today. :)

      Delete
  3. Wonderful post, Anita Mae--I love the photos. It's fun to imagine myself a hundred years ago strolling through those gorgeous buildings.

    Congratulations on your first Barbour novella! I'm honored and delighted to be in the collection with you. <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Susie. I hope I never get tired of the thrill of seeing your name on the same cover as mine. The fact that we're blogmates sure helps with the promotion, etc, but getting to know you as a friend and writer inspired me to pursue Barbour Publishing, and there's an extra thanks in that. :)

      Delete
  4. I loved looking at the photos. I've never heard the term "orangery" before. I wonder if it's just used in Canada. Do you know? I especially liked the first picture. I can just imagine a young couple who is courting sneaking off to be alone there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vickie, I've often read of an orangery in reference to British conservatories and palm houses, as they seem to have specific names for every little thing. Of course, with my military background, I like details, but I get lost when reading British carriage and horse books. It reminds me of our Inuit who have 50 names for snow depending on the temperature and density. Good to know if you're in the Arctic, but not so good as a writer when no one understands what you mean.

      Having said that, I suppose I could have explained that an orangery was used for growing citrus fruits, mainly oranges, and thereby usually a freestanding structure due to growing requirements.

      Delete
    2. I've heard of an orangery before--though I don't know where. Maybe British novels/movies??

      Delete
    3. It could very well be. Let me know if you think of it again. :)

      Delete
  5. Amazing, Anita! Wouldn't it be lovely to have a conservatory? It reminds me of the one on Pollyanna. *Sigh* to be rich and live in the Victorian Era. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, eh, Gabrielle. I loved my years in the greenhouse business and often wished they were attached to the house, but I'm not kidding about the humidity factor. There's a reason we have a window or exhaust fan in the bathroom. :)

      Delete
  6. Great photos! Congratulations on your novella!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I must say, talking about gardening makes me long for summer, and since the days are growing longer once again, it will only be three months before the ground thaws again, and four until it warms sufficiently for planting. Yay!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the pictures of your conservatories, they have long held my immagination. There is a beautiful one on Navy Pier, which I believe is the site of one of the "World's Fairs" in Chicago. I loved renewing my acquaintance with it as an adult, as a child's eyes sees things differently of course! I am glad to have stumbled on to your blog through an exploratory clicking session this day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shanna I'm delighted you found my post and this blog. I've read about the World's Fair in Chicago while researching our family history, but haven't had a chance to visit the city yet. Someday. :) Thank you for dropping in and sharing your thoughts. :)

      Delete
  9. The pictures of the conservatories very nice, thank you for sharing them. I grew up near Indiana University and always marveled at the plants they had growing in theirs. Some were huge! My great aunt had a large green house where she grew flowers, greens and tomatoes in the winter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrea, that's what I love best about conservatories... the size of the tropical plants. Sounds like your aunt was a busy lady, but oh, so lovely to have fresh tomatoes.

      Delete
  10. Congrats on the new release!

    I'm not much of a plant person myself, but I adore other people's gardens & flower beds. I've often wondered what a conservatory was but didn't realize it was a place for indoor plants! I love the pictures, they look like a good place to relax and enjoy God's beautiful creation or read a good book! :-)

    Thanks for the giveaway for "The American Heiress Brides Collection". Like I've said before, I love the Barbour novella sets!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trixi, a conservatory can also refer to music. My kids attended the Royal Conservatory of Music where they took vocal, piano, violin, and percussion lessons, and performed at music recitals. However, a music conservatory is an organization whereas a botanical conservatory is a physical structure. Thanks for mentioning it. I had thought of it while writing the post, but got carried away by the images.

      I'd also like to add that the conservatory is a small portion of my story as I try to give my characters well-rounded lives. Thank you for visiting. :)

      Delete
  11. Congrats on your new release. It sounds like an excellent book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cheryl. It is. :D

      I hope you get a chance to read it. Thank you for stopping by and letting us know you were here.

      Delete