Enter a greenhouse and you’ve crossed the threshold of an extraordinary place. You’re greeted by a profusion of flowers and the rich textures of foliage. Sweet fragrances mix with the earthy smell of soil. Diffused light shines through the misty air. In the silence, you can almost hear the plants growing. Traffic rumbles by unnoticed, and the distractions of the “real” world seem miles away.
Once the province of the wealthy, greenhouse gardening is now practiced by almost two million American homeowners, according to the American Horticultural Society. You’ll find greenhouses on city rooftops and tucked into suburban gardens. No two are identical, even if they’re constructed from the same kit; the contents of a greenhouse make it unique. Some house vegetables (tomatoes and cucumbers), some shelter tropicals (scheffleras and dieffenbachias), and some are home to flats of germinating begonias.
A select few protect rare orchids and plants imported from exotic tropical locales. But they all serve a common purpose: a place where gardeners can lose themselves among green and growing things.
