Jardiniere
The jardiniere is a container for flowers that has taken on new forms over the decades and can be seen as the predecessor of the modern flower box or planter. In southwestern Germany, the term Jardiniere is still used today for a simple planter that can be hung on special brackets, for example on balconies or patios. The word itself comes from French and means something like gardener, the term is intended to indicate the freedom to use flowers and other plants in this plant bowl as easily as in a real garden. Before the Art Nouveau era, the jardiniere was an integral part of the interiors of upscale households, such as those fitted with real flowers or other artistic ornaments. At the turn of the century, and thus in the heyday of Art Nouveau, the jardiniere was filled with real flowers more and more, the compact shape of the bowl made it easy to transport around the home. At this time, the term Jardiniere also established itself for the so-called centerpiece, which could be found as an ornamental bowl on every bourgeois dining table and also offered an attractive place for plants of all kinds. Variants made of silver or other metals were particularly common in the original jardiniere; over time, simple and less elegant planters for the interior developed from this.