Pineapples in Shit

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This was one of the first articles I ever published online. I used it as a spec piece during a job interview and I considered the content to be the height of wit at the time. While I cringe a little bit imagining myself turning this in at the interview, the subject matter is pretty interesting and there are several articles and BBC specials written about the ‘Lost Gardens of Heligan’ that cover this topic in a much more comprehensive manner.

Growing Pineapples in Victorian England

While almost unknown today, the practice of growing pineapples was extremely popular within the wealthy and fashionable circles of Victorian England. Between 1770 and 1850 pineapples, a mark of prestige in affluent households, were grown within complexly engineered structures known as pineapple pits.

A pineapple pit is a specifically designed greenhouse that was found in many gardens across Victorian England. Essentially large amounts of horse manure were mixed with straw then soaked in urine, and then this mixture was shoveled into trenches on either side of a glass covered shed. The heat and humidity caused by the decaying material would be filtered into the shed through perforations in the walls. The combined effect of the manure, straw, and urine could heat an enclosed space up to one hundred twenty degrees and produce the perfect environment to grow rare varieties of pineapples. Growing tropical fruit in Europe’s temperate climate was a complex and costly process and as such the pineapple was a luxury item enjoyed only by those who could afford it.

Although remnants of these pits can be found on older estates throughout England, the Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall England have the only example in working condition. After uncovering the neglected pit, a team of gardeners, researchers, and volunteers restored the Victorian architectural oddity to working order and relearned the complex process of producing the tropical plants. Each year up to thirty tons of manure are carted to the site and used to heat the covered growing pit. The result of this effort is an annual yield of around twenty miniature pineapples.

As steam travel between Europe and the Americas became quicker and more reliable it became cheaper to simply ship fruits to England rather than grow them in Pineapple pits. This, paired with the increasing difficulty in sourcing the massive amounts of manure needed to heat the pits, caused the eventual abandonment of the practice.