{"title":"Garden Cloches","description":"\u003cp\u003eAntique French garden cloches bring the quiet charm of utilitarian garden objects into both the garden and the home. Traditionally used to protect young plants, seedlings and delicate crops, these glass cloches are closely tied to kitchen gardens, greenhouses and French country living.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, they are sought after not only for their original purpose, but also for their decorative presence. Placed on a table, in a kitchen, conservatory, garden room or outdoor setting, an antique garden cloche adds a simple, authentic note with timeless rural character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach piece carries its own signs of age, from bubbles and subtle irregularities in the glass to small traces of use and variations in shape. These details are part of the character and beauty of genuine antique French garden cloches.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"antique-french-glass-garden-cloche-hand-blown-19th-c-cloche-a-melon","title":"Antique French Glass Garden Cloche | Hand-Blown Melon Cloche | 19th Century","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe shape is what makes this antique French glass garden cloche so charming. It rises higher than the wide salad cloches, with a flared base, rounded shoulder and little glass knop at the top. You can immediately imagine it in a French potager, sitting over young melons, lettuces or tender spring plants while the pale green glass catches the morning light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eKnown in France as a cloche à melon, this garden cloche was made to trap warmth and protect young plants from cold nights, wind and garden pests. It likely dates from the 19th century, around 1850 to 1900, and is consistent with hand-blown French garden glass from the period. The soft green tint comes from the natural iron content in the glass, giving it that color we love in old utilitarian French glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe glass was blown by hand in one piece, and the age shows beautifully. Small air bubbles are suspended throughout the wall, the thickness shifts slightly from place to place, and the surface has that gentle movement that modern molded glass never quite has. The broad rolled rim gave the cloche stability when placed directly over soil, while the tall bell form created room for the plant to grow underneath.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe top knop is still intact, which is a lovely detail. Many old garden cloches lost their knop over time, sometimes from breakage and sometimes because gardeners removed them to help vent heat. Here, the original silhouette remains complete, giving the piece that classic 19th century garden form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToday, it would still be beautiful in the garden over herbs, strawberries, young lettuces or seedlings. Indoors, it would be wonderful on a farmhouse table, kitchen counter or sideboard covering a bowl of pears, lemons, market tomatoes or a small terracotta pot. It brings light, color and the feeling of an old French kitchen garden into the home.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Provence Collection","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53567894782295,"sku":"OUT-008","price":405.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/4686\/4215\/files\/antique-french-glass-garden-cloche-hand-blown-19th-c-cloche-a-melon-2.jpg?v=1779189329"},{"product_id":"antique-french-glass-cloche-a-salade-hand-blown-pale-green-19th-century","title":"Antique French Glass Garden Cloche | Hand-Blown Pale Green | 19th Century","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe size is what makes this antique French glass garden cloche so good. It is broad, low and beautifully generous, made to cover more than one little seedling. You can imagine it in a potager in the early morning, pale green glass catching the light while lettuces, herbs or tender young plants wake up underneath. It has that wonderful French garden feeling: practical, handmade and somehow very beautiful without trying.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis form is known in France as a cloche à salade, a salad cloche, because it was made wide and shallow to protect lettuces and other delicate garden plants. At 45 centimeters across the base, it is broader than the melon cloches more often seen. It would have helped shelter young leaves from late frost, snails and other garden trouble while still letting in light and warmth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example likely dates from the late 19th century and was hand blown in pale green glass. The proof of the handwork is easy to see. Tiny trapped bubbles move through the glass, faint swirls catch the light, and the rolled rim has the slight irregularity you hope to find in old garden glass. It feels substantial, but still wonderfully alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe knob at the top still carries its original pontil mark, left from the making process rather than ground away. That small detail matters. It gives the piece a direct connection to the glassblower who made it, and separates it from modern molded garden cloches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, it would still be beautiful in the garden over herbs, lettuces, strawberries or young plants. Indoors, it would be just as lovely on a farmhouse table or sideboard over lemons, pears, market tomatoes or a simple bowl of seasonal fruit. It brings light, color and the feeling of an old French potager into the home or garden.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Provence Collection","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53693697655127,"sku":"OUT-021","price":995.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/4686\/4215\/files\/hand-blown-french-garden-cloche-pale-green-2.jpg?v=1780483904"}],"url":"https:\/\/theprovencecollection.com\/collections\/garden-cloches.oembed","provider":"The Provence Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}