A Garden Cloche is a protective cover for low growing plants and vegetables.
It is thought that the first glass cloche appeared around 400 years ago in Italy but it is the French who adopted the bell-shaped glass structures and made them their own. French market gardeners covered their fields in cloches in order to speed up the growth of their plants.
Since their inception various materials and shapes have been tried and tested under the guise of 'garden cloche'. It was the Victorian's who designed the traditional cast iron frame cloche that is still popular with gardeners today.
Why use a Garden Cloche?
Garden cloches are popular as they are easy to move. Unlike a greenhouse or cold frame, a garden cloche can be picked up and moved as and where needed. They keep plants and vegetables warm and dry, preventing diseases and rotting from too much water.
What do you grow under a Garden Cloche?
Soft fruit and vegetables benefit from spending time protected by garden cloches, especially aubergines, cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries. Seedlings can be protected at the start of their growing season and they can also be used to warm the soil before transplanting plants out into the garden.
What are the benefits of a Garden Cloche?
Protecting plants from wind and birds is one of the big attractions to using garden cloches. Cloches are also good at protecting plants from airborne diseases such as tomato blight. It's important to open the vents of your cloche to let fresh air circulate as this will reduce humidity and keep leaves dry.
The most popular reasons for using a garden cloche are:
- Protect your crop from pests
- Shelter plants from the elements
- Extend the growing season for your vegetables, flowers, herbs and shrubs
Where to buy a Garden Cloche?
Here at Urban Grow we have traditional, hand built Victorian Cloches for you to order for your garden. Our cloches are built to last a lifetime by independent British cloche makers, Claverton Cloches.
"We have long been fascinated with Victorian cloches. There’s something quite special about these beautiful miniature glasshouses and their impactful design, combining both period charm and practicality," say Beth and Janus, from Claverton Cloches.
Browse our garden cloches and get busy deciding what you'll grow first!