Lush micro-worlds contained within walls of glass, there is something deeply alluring about greenhouses. So full of life, stepping from a cool day into a humid greenhouse can feel like landing on an alien planet and exploring its flora. 

Whether the greenhouse brings the tropics to the temperate worlds of the upper latitudes, helps grow food in the desert, or is just there to please a European royal family, these lush and elegant glass structures captivate.

With this in mind we have put together a tour of some of our favorite and most beautiful greenhouses in the world.

Royal Greenhouses at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels, Belgium (Photo source)

Botanical Garden of Curitiba in Curitiba, Brazil (Photo source)

City Winter Garden in Helsinki, Finland (photo source jaime.silva)

Kew Gardens in London, England (Photo source)

Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens in Bangalore, India (Photo source) 

St. Petersburg Botanical Garden in St. Petersburg, Russia (Photo source)

Syon House Park in London, England (Photo source Sheriff of Nothing)

 

Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome in Tokyo, Japan (Photo source)

Haupt Conservatory, NY Botanical Garden in New York, NY (Photo source jbylund) 

  

The Conservatory at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA (Photo source) 

Wisley Glasshouse in Surrey, U.K. (Photo source)

Schonbrunn Palm Pavillion in Austria, Vienna (Photo source)

 

Gruson-Gewachshauser Botanical Garden in Saxony, Germany (Photo source)

Zurich Botanical Gardens in Zurich, Switzerland (Photo source mikhail_k)

 Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory in Milwaukee, WI (Photo source) 

The Eden Project in St. Blazey, Cornwall, U.K. (Photo source)

While elegant glass beauties still rules the greenhouse world, the practical aspects of climate controlled agriculture has emerged as the future of the greenhouse.

A number of projects across the globe have sprung up with the hope of solving world issues in barren landscapes. One proposed project, the Sahara Forest Project, suggests using only seawater and sunlight to produce food, potable water and renewable energy in the desolate region.

With an ever-growing population, the potential from these wondrous greenhouses is immense and the future shines brightly through their glass walls.