Читать книгу Creative Terrariums - Enid G. Svymbersky - Страница 7

I’ve heard of some fanatical obsessions sweeping a nation but none of them can light a candle to the 19th-century Victorian infatuation with ferns. In fact, the compulsion ran so deep it was given a name, Pteridomania (pterido being the Latin word for fern, and mania, well . . . you can guess). Ferns were so much a part of Victorian life that fern motifs were printed on every decorative façade imaginable: buildings, fences, furniture, pottery, tea sets, clothing, and even tombstones donned the fronds. Fern fever even offered young women a little social independence. During this era, it became perfectly acceptable for women to explore the outdoors on fern-hunting expeditions, sans chaperone! As you can probably imagine, the boys were not too far behind. Over the years, these social occasions reportedly led to many a fern-induced love affair. So just how did this frenzy take over an entire nation?

Wardian Cases

Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791–1868)

Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, a London physician and nature enthusiast, could not for the life of him keep his ferns alive. He yearned for an indoor garden but the increasing smog from industrialization and the infamous London fog proved to be less-than-ideal conditions—until one day, to his utter amazement, he found a young fern growing inside one of his sealed jars. Dr. Ward discovered that the fern thrived in a closed and humid environment. This observation piqued his interest, so to conduct further experiments he called on a carpenter to build him a small airtight greenhouse made of wood and glass. This “Wardian Case,” as it would eventually come to be called, is how the first terrarium of the modern era was born.

“Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” —James Baldwin

Dr. Ward shared his findings with his friends in the botany community, and before he knew it, fern fever was in full swing. Wardian Cases were manufactured in all sizes, from small portable cases for the amateur home collector to giant life-size versions called “ferneries.” Most significantly, Wardian Cases were instrumental in transporting live specimens across long ocean voyages. Thousands of Wardian Cases were used to import live tea trees from China to England, and we all know how much the Brits love their tea! Rubber trees were fetched from Brazil, which led to a prosperous rubber industry that played a crucial role in both World Wars.

However, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and by the beginning of the 20th century the popularity of ferns dwindled and was subsequently replaced by orchid fever. Dr. Ward was certainly not the first person to invent the science behind a terrarium, but he certainly championed the cause and made plant collecting more accessible to the masses. In the end, what I find so remarkable is that all of this was born from nothing more than a little fern in a jar.

According to the American Fern Society, today there are over 10,000 species of ferns. Ferns are common enough that they are readily available for purchase at most garden centers and even farmers markets. In parts of the southern United States, Kimberly queen ferns adorn entranceways and Boston ferns hang from porch baskets. In New England, fiddlehead ferns are harvested in the spring and then cooked and served as a delectable regional specialty. With the popularity of terrariums on the rise, ferns are once again making their way under glass enclosures for our viewing pleasure!

A hanging Boston fern.