Rare to find a Victorian terrarium with the original glass!During the Victorian Era and predominantly in England terrariums or "Wardian Cases" became very popular and many people kept them in their homes. They have now made a comeback.
The art of the terrarium is credited with a man called Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward. His invention came from the desire to watch an insect chrysalis transform into an insect so he placed it in a glass bottle. But to his surprise a seedling fern sprouted inside the bottle. The plant continued to thrive for four years with no watering.
From this he devised further experiments and the science of the terrariums, was born. For a very long time these small glass enclosures were named Wardian Cases after him, it is generally not well known and we call them terrariums.
