Handi-House is the oldest, most established PORTABLE BUILDING manufacturer in the Southeast, manufacturing and striving for excellence since 1966, close to 50 years of distributing storage buildings throughout the South. At Handi-House, we know our future depends on 'You', our valuable customers. Off-Grid Tiny House TOUR: Fy Nyth Nestled in Wyoming Mountains - Duration. Tiny Home/Portable Building House.off grid living. Duration: 7:20. Rusty78609 14,557 views.
The story of gardening is — in a not-so-indirect way — the story of human civilization. Long before people took up writing implements to record the stories of their lives, the archaeological record shows that mankind underwent a pivotal shift from being hunter-gatherers, seeking out food sources in the wild, to the establishment of more permanent settlements. The dawn of civilization is defined by the development of agriculture: the domestication of formerly wild species for human consumption, including the cultivation of edible plants.
Apparently, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't take humans very long to figure out the benefits of taking measures to protect and shelter their newly domesticated crops from elemental extremes. Evidence of flood and fire control can be found in artifacts of the early Neolithic period. And the practice of growing plants under cover dates at least as far back as the days of Ancient Rome, when Emperor Tiberius enjoyed the fruits of a cucumber-like plant so much that his gardeners set up something like primitive hothouses to grow them year-round. Using sheets of selenite, a transparent rock, they built structures to shield the plants against frost without blocking out the sun.
During the Renaissance, the advent of new glassmaking techniques facilitated the building of larger, more sophisticated glass-enclosed structures, and non-native plants brought back from exotic locations by explorers and traders were housed indoors during the cooler months. These early greenhouses were the showplaces of the botanical gardens they served. They were called orangeries, so named for the large citrus trees that were often overwintered there — the most famous of which may be the one built at Versailles. Completed in 1686, the Versailles orangery wasn’t well planned in terms of ideal growing conditions; it faced northwest, let too little sun in, and had an inefficient coal furnace that alternately overheated and froze plants, many of which would scarcely survive till spring.
The abolishment of tariffs on glass windows in the 19th century helped bring about the widespread construction of Victorian glasshouses, where wealthy horticulturalists showcased carefully curated crops of native and exotic fruits, vegetables, and flowers throughout the year. These spectacular structures and botanical displays remain a nostalgic pleasure among modern-day gardening enthusiasts.