In 1827, Dr. Nathaniel Ward, a London-based physician with an interest in botany, discovered that—unlike most plants in his garden—a fern that he had kept in a covered container remained healthy. Thus, the Wardian case (or terrarium) was conceived to protect plants from the polluted London air so that they could continue to grow and flourish. Fast forward to today, terrarium’s have become a staple in homes and Instagram feeds everywhere—albeit more for their aesthetic appearances rather than their functional usefulness.
