Why every kitchen garden needs a cloche | House & Garden
25.06.2024 - 09:13
/ houseandgarden.co.uk
The fruits and vegetables harvested from your own patch of earth are always the sweetest–doubly so if your garden is more shoebox than sprawling country pile. In pursuit of the perfect strawberry, modern gardeners are turning to the old Victorian favourite: cloches.
But what is it about these glass structures that make them so handy in tight green spaces? Like a miniature, portable greenhouse, pop them over plants and they trap the sun's heat, creating a warm microclimate ideal for propagating seedlings. They're especially helpful in the summer, ripening chillies and accelerating the growth of basil. Plus, in smaller plots where you might not have room for garden furniture, an antique cloche can up the decorative ante.
We spoke to Beth Gregg, co-founder of Claverton Cloches, who believes Victorian ingenuity has given us an excellent way to make the most of a tiny garden. The idea for the company came when Beth began planting seedlings in her windy terrace garden. Her partner, having seen ‘these perfect things’ as a child at Audley End House, had no idea what they were called, but they quickly discovered a reproduction was impossible to find.
As Beth notes, ‘cloches protect tender plants from frosts and prevent hungry birds and nibbling mice from eating your precious crop. Instead of cluttering a sunny windowsill with your seed trays in spring, they can be brought outdoors and placed under cloches to kick-start germination; they can also be used to start off summer lettuces, sweet peas and radishes.' Plus, she adds, ‘in an urban setting cloches provide protection for plants from pigeons and even curious pets.’
These days, cloches are available in a variety of designs, from faithful Victorian replications to contemporary
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