Shade cloth of style anno 1880

[Joakim B]

Dear all
Our orchid club might be responsible for a for an old greenhouse in a botanical garden. I think the idea is a bit of style like it was 1880. The shade cloth that is on it now is green and ugly and I associate it with a thing for constructions more than any greenhouse.
I was thinking something in white or "off white" and preferably of a material that existed 1880 or looks as if could have.
I was thinking "linen" (can not get the word right but the material used in Europe prior to cotton) or the material used for "coffee sacks" and similar. I think that is hemp. Does anyone know of a suitable material or where I can know more about it I would appreciate it. It could also be an old sail from that time as Portugal was a sailing nation and still is a seafaring one.
I am also interested in how other old greenhouses have done with their shade cloth.

Kind regards
Joakim

[Anthony Darby]

Perhaps muslin might have been used? This is a cotton fabric was introduced to England in the late 15th century from the Middle East and is still used for this purpose.

[Joakim B]

Thanks Anthony
This sounds interesting.
I have spent considerable amount of time fining some of this for greenhouses but finds everything but what I want.
I hope someone here knows of a supplier of shading for greenhouses maybe even in muslin.
I can not understand why I can not find it. I get results from every thing else than shadings for greenhouses in muslin.
By the way does anyone has experience with cloth or muslin shading?
Seen it in a botanic garden or have Your self?

Kind regards
Joakim

[Paul T]

Bear in mind that if using shadecloth that is not green it will stand out VERY strongly in contrast to everything around it.  Recently while I was working at the Botanic Gardens here in Canberra an old nursery area was "fenced off" with shadecloth so that it didn't look like a big concrete eyesore any more....... it was a creamy coloured cloth (chosen because it is harder to see through than the green type, so therefore it screened better) and from a distance it is SO obvious that personally I think it looked far better just seeing the concrete stuff.  It is worse at certain times of the day when the sun is at particular angles and the cloth virtually glows.

I just want to mention this so that if you aren't wanting the structure to be seen from a distance you won't choose something that will make the structure obvious from a distance (if you know what I mean).  I would never have thought of this myself, but having seen it recently at work it was just so very noticeable amongst everything else that was green.

[Joakim B]

Thanks for that input Paul
The building is (or looks like it is) from 1880  and behind it is a taller building from the same time. The greenhouse is white and to be honest I would not mind if it sticks out. I have the feeling that if it is in cloth of cotton/linnen or other "natural material" it will become dirty and loose the shine soon. Was Yours of cloth or was it made of plastic Paul? White plastic would for sure be a bit shiny and not hiding anything just enforcing that there is something hidden there.
All input is interesting and of great interest so please come with it.

Kind regards
Joakim

[Paul T]

Joakim,

It was a cream woven shadecloth, just like the normal green, but was cream instead of green.  They were right, it does make it harder to see through (it always is harder to see through paler screens than darker screens), but it showed up from such a distance that to me it just made the area more obvious, not less.  I just wanted to raise the issue, in case the more obvious appearance would become a problem.  I'm glad it isn't!

[Anthony Darby]

Cheese cloth was around in the 1880s and is loosely woven cotton.

[arisaema]

Back in 1880 they would have whitewashed the glass with lime (CaOH), but if that's not an option go with cheese cloth or coarsely woven burlap.

[Joakim B]

Thanks Anthony and Arisaema.
I was actually first thinking of the coarsely woven burlap but did not know the english expression.
Also the cheese cloth sounds interesting. It is also common in Portugal.
Does anyone know how durable these things are?

Does people use these things?
They have the windows a bit covered with lime but I thing they would prefer a shading since it is big and high house.

Kind regards
Joakim