Think of them as tiny portable greenhouses, designed to protect plants from the effects of wind, cold, and insects. As practical as they are attractive, glass-paned cloches are a common gardeners' tool in the UK—and yet another reason for US gardeners to envy our overseas counterparts their well-stocked garden supply shops:
Above: A replica of a design used in the 18th and 19th centuries, a cast iron Victorian Style Cloche has side pieces that fit together to form a base for the roof; it's £109.99 from Crocus.
Above: A vintage Victorian Cloche and a Victorian Style Cloche are £130 and £120, respectively, from Warehams.
Above: From Hibbitt of Oswestry, a variety of sizes and shapes of Lantern Cloche are available at prices from £40 to £950, depending on size. A Miniature Octagonal Cloche (R) is £40.
Above: A copper frame Kensington Garden Cloche is £143.99 from English Lamp Posts. (N.B.: To see cloches hard at work in the garden, see From Mist to Glory : Ben Pentreath's Dorset Garden.)