Conservatories owe roots to Italian gardens

Though most conservatories are found in European homes, U.S. homeowners in this country have been incorporating the designs into renovation and additions projects since the 1970s, which is about the same time that innovations in insulated glass entered the market and made construction more widely accepted, Marston says.

Conservatories owe their origins to the Renaissance era when imitating classic Italian gardens in the colder, northern European climate was common.

That resulted in the conservation of delicate Mediterranean plants including oranges, lemons, pomegranates and palms through the winter.

What began as a simple screen to ward off frost evolved into functional glazed glass-fronted sheds that became elegant glass orangeries in the parks of 18th century houses. Many of the orangeries built between the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 19th century have survived and can be seen in stately homes throughout northern Europe and in world-class botanical gardens in London.