2012 Growing Spaces Articles Archive
50 posts
The blog as community scrapbook. 2012 followed a dome installation in Sweden, ran monthly photo contests, and filled in with owner letters, school greenhouse news, and founder writing on women in business and the mental-health benefits of gardening.
Happy Holidays …
December 13, 2012
This is the time of year that my inner child delights in the music, Christmas lights and spirit of giving. My excitement is an appreciation for the turning inward of the shorter days, the relief of cozying our home and coming inside for more reflection. A reverence for inwardness symbolized by the Solstice, as well…
Proof that Gardening Gives a Natural Mood Lift
December 12, 2012
How many people do you know who are affected by depression, anxiety, stress or other emotional illness? Or maybe the better question is: Who do you know that is not affected? The pressures of today’s increasingly fast-paced, high-tech society that demands you know all things at all times and learn to do them all at…
Oregon Tropical Flowers in Winter
December 7, 2012
This Growing Dome Greenhouse in Oregon is flourishing in winter
Success Gardening Indoors in Winter on the Oregon Coast
December 6, 2012
This Growing Dome Greenhouse is flourishing on the Central Oregon Coast
Shumei International Institute Members Visit Growing Spaces
December 5, 2012
Last week, staff members of the Shumei International Institute in Crestone, Co. took advantage of the mild November weather and travelled to Pagosa Springs for a day of relaxing, sightseeing, and, of course, soaking in the “Healing Waters” of the hot springs. After a breakfast hosted by Growing Spaces at the “Famous” Pagosa Baking Co.,…
Naropa University Greenhouse Conducts Valuable Research
December 5, 2012
We recently received an update from Jason Gerhardt at Naropa University Greenhouse in Boulder, CO on the current projects going on in their 22′ Growing Dome named the William D. Jones Community Greenhouse and… we were stunned that so many amazing things were going on in their greenhouse! Not only are the projects prolific, but they…
6 Ways to Be 1 Amazing Kid
December 5, 2012
Growing Spaces co-owner, Puja Parsons, subscribes to a number of e-newsletters that keep her abreast of current trends in healthy eating, wellness and sustainability. Many Mondays we come to work and find delicious email forwards in our inboxes with links to great articles. Most recently via Puja’s subscription to DailyGood.org, she shared with us a…
Becoming a Green Business
December 1, 2012
In the November – December 2012 issue of the southwest Colorado EPIC Magazine, the co-owner and CEO of Growing Spaces, Puja Dhyan Parsons, contributed an article on “Becoming a Green Business”. Puja’s “how to” isn’t in the traditional way you would think. The article was originally published in the November-December 2012 issue of Epic Magazine…
November 2012 – Dome of the Month Winner
November 19, 2012
Congratulations to Mike O'Neal on winning this November's Dome of the Month contest! This stunning photo of the interior of his 33' Growing Dome shows the forest of aloe by his water tank and the lush growth of his indoor garden in Oklahoma. He plans his entries just right (and takes amazing photos) so that he wins in the fall of every year. The entry this year was much more serene than last year's shocking lightning photo, but equally as beautiful.
La Terra Vita Springs Grows Food in Challenging Climate
November 14, 2012
This Growing Dome Greenhouse is growing food and educating the community on a mountain in Oregon
Homemade Organic Pest Control Sprays
October 24, 2012
On October 8th we hosted an “Ask the Gardening Experts” Interactive Workshop attended by over 50 students and presented by 5 panelists. It was an information packed day that offered many solutions for problems gardeners face. We will be releasing the full class on video for the public to purchase. Until then we wanted to…
October’s Dome of the Month – Educating the Young Ones
October 16, 2012
So many youth do not have access to education about WHERE their food comes from and we support and uphold the movement to change that however we can. This month we would like to honor Mini University in Ohio for their dedication to the mission of gifting pre-school age children with the experience of growing…
September’s Dome of the Month
September 26, 2012
Lighting appears to strike this 26' Growing Dome Greenhouse in Colorado
Making the Most of the Slow Money Rocky Mountain Regional Gathering
September 11, 2012
On September 1st, 2012 a team of six people from the Growing Spaces community, including owners Puja and Udgar Parsons, attended the Slow Money Regional Gathering in Carbondale, CO. After attending last year’s national gathering in San Fransisco, CA, Puja and Udgar were so excited to be a part of a gathering closer to home….
U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet’s Staff Visit Growing Spaces
August 24, 2012
On July 12, 2012 Terra Anderson, Constituent Advocate for Senator Bennet in Durango, Monisha Merchant, the Senator’s Senior Advisor for Business Affairs, and Terra’s intern Ben paid a visit to Growing Spaces to tour our Growing Dome greenhouses. They were on their way to Durango, Colorado for the Southwest Women’s Small Business Conference, where our very…
Enter to Win: Owner Video Contest
August 22, 2012
As much as we love gardening, we love community and we’re trying to create it wherever we go. We want you to share your Growing Dome stories with each other so that you all can learn from each other and feel a part of something larger than yourselves. We decided we’d sweeten the pot by…
Mini University Dome
August 20, 2012
One of the new educational domes we have going up right now is being built at a Mini University Childcare Center in Dayton, Ohio. A state senator and other local dignitaries will be onsite on September 13th to witness the ribbon cutting, and official opening of the 33′ Growing Dome. One of the school administrators,…
Greenhouse Helps New Gardener Learn Quickly
August 17, 2012
We love hearing from our Growing Dome owners, so when we received a very encouraging email from Lori Binczak, we had to share it with you guys. It’s so great when we get little reminders like this that remind us why we do what we do. We can’t believe what she’s accomplished in her 18′…
Truckee Community Farm Wins Your 2 Cents Grant
August 15, 2012
Last week, we posted a testimonial video from Truckee Community Farms‘ co-owner Bill Kelly and manager Susie Sutphin talking about their project and how they’re using their Growing Dome. These two, along with the other co-owner Kevin Kelly, have been awarded the Your 2 Cents Program Grant. “The Rodale Institute’s $5,000 Your 2 Cents donation…
The Return Customers
August 10, 2012
Meet David and Edna Allan, some home gardeners who have enjoyed their Growing Dome, enjoyed it so much in fact that they have actually bought seven of them. In this video they talk to Puja Parsons about their many Growing Domes, and some of the techniques they use to to grow all year long.
August’s Dome of the Month
August 10, 2012
Taken on the 4th of July during a fireworks ban across the state of Colorado, Richard Black was able to find a perfect substitute for fireworks, a double rainbow! It just so happened to end at his 42′ Growing Dome in Durango, CO. Fancy that! Great picture Richard, and keep on growing!
Story Time With Truckee Community Farm
August 9, 2012
Bill Kelly and Susie Sutphin, two of the people who have started a project they call Truckee Community Farms, came to Growing Spaces and explained what their focus is and how they got started. We love to hear from people like these who take a good idea and put it into action, and we are…
Restoring Keweenaw Bay, Michigan
August 7, 2012
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a program to restore native ground cover is underway. It is called the Zaagkii Project, and one of the tools they have is a Growing Dome that they utilize for propagation of endangered and culturally significant plants. This 33′ Growing Dome built in Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), is also used to give…
SWEDEN: Final Installation
July 24, 2012
DATELINE Sweden, the U.S. connection, the story continues… As with many “Great Times” in life, our time in Sweden came and went in a blink. The Johansson family, our wonderful hosts, represent, in my opinion, the future of our planet. I know that sounds profound, but it is the simple truth. The love, interest and…
The Pagosa Verde Symposium: Growth Strategies for Rural Colorado Communities
July 24, 2012
On August 9th, 2012, our hometown of Pagosa Springs, CO is hosting a professional collaboration to explore economic growth, renewables, geothermal development and sustainable agriculture. The goal is to move Colorado mountain towns into a sustainable future. We are excited to lend our sponsorship and support to this great endeavor and are looking forward to…
Keynote Address: Staying Centered in the Cyclone
July 24, 2012
One of our two favorite leaders of Growing Spaces, Puja Parsons, gave a beautiful keynote address to an audience of nearly 200 at the SW Colorado Women’s Small Business Conference in Durango, Colorado on July 13th, 2012. It was a bit of a new frontier for Puja because she had the opportunity to present how…
Learning in Grand Traverse Academy’s Growing Dome
July 11, 2012
Grand Traverse Academy in Michigan has been using aquaponic and hydroponic techniques in their Growing Dome garden for 2 years with great success. They are learning a lot along the way and continuing to increase their yield. Their fish species of choice does well in cold water and provides them with fertilized water for their…
PRESS RELEASE: Geodesic Greenhouse Manufacturer to Appear on HGTV Backyard Makeover Show
June 15, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESUBJECT: Geodesic Greenhouse Manufacturer to Appear on HGTV Backyard Makeover Show Growing Spaces is proud to announce their upcoming appearance on an episode of My Yard Goes Disney. The series features families who win a surprise backyard makeover that is Disney themed and is in its second season on HGTV (Home and Garden…
SWEDEN: Installation Finished!
June 7, 2012
Richard and Janet by this time have finished up with Ludvig and family on the 26′ Growing Dome Greenhouse installation at Ludvig’s home in Sweden. We’re awaiting a written narrative of the experience, but in the meantime, we have this photo journal of the remainder of the build. Enjoy!
June 2012 Dome of the Month
June 7, 2012
Congratulations to the Benjamin’s on their beautiful 33′ Growing Dome Greenhouse in British Columbia, Canada! Our Facebook community has voted, and this is the picture they liked the most this month. Hailing from Cariboo, British Columbia, Canada, Darcy and Simone love their Growing Dome Greenhouse. “It looks very cool out there, almost like a UFO…
Nurturing Families in Our Community
June 7, 2012
We recently constructed a 26′ Show Growing Dome to join the four other Growing Domes at our facility in Pagosa Springs, CO. The 26′ diameter is our most popular size and we’ve been planning this build for that reason for a couple of years. Since we have plenty of gardening space for ourselves in the…
SWEDEN: International Installation Begins
May 30, 2012
Richard Miller and his wife Janet made it safely to Sweden and were reunited with the Growing Dome kit shipped from Growing Spaces. The build has commenced and is coming along beautifully. The international exchange is going over great. It seems Ludvig and Richard had hit it off well over the phone and email that…
SWEDEN: We’re On Our Way!
May 25, 2012
“Dateline Sweden” Ludvig Johansson discovers 2 crates, one might contain the “Holy Grail”, eat your heart out Harrison Ford! Just kidding!! The two crates do contain what will be a great adventure, however, I’m just happy they made it from Colorado, USA to Sweden, 5000+ miles, in good shape. This other picture concerns me though….
The Harvest Center Makes News
May 25, 2012
The Harvest Center non-profit boosts a membership of 95 gardeners and donated 477 lbs. of produce to families in need last year. This high-elevation community garden has two outdoor gardens and a 22′ Growing Dome where they grow food year round. Under the leadership of Lee Willoughby this outstanding vision has become a dream… The…
Students Learn Firsthand About Growing Food
May 15, 2012
A great partnership between Taos’ Chrysalis Alternative School and the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps has come to fruition with the building and gardening of their new 26′ Growing Dome. Thanks to an article from The Taos News we get to share with you their outstanding progress. “Students at Taos’ Chrysalis Alternative School are learning about…
Testimonial from May’s Dome of the Month Winner
May 11, 2012
We picked this photo of Urs’ 22′ Growing Dome as May’s Dome of the Month before receiving this wonderful letter from him. It just so happens that his photo received the most “likes” to date, a lucky 111. Nice work Urs and thank you for the kind testimonial letter! Dear Puja and Udgar,Thank you so…
Where in the World? – SWEDEN
May 11, 2012
Officially Announcing the Winners of Where In The World contest! And the winners are…do you hear the drum roll?? But wait, before I announce the winners, let me thank Ludvig Johansson and his family in Sweden for sharing their adventure. The new photos now posted show the amount of labor Ludvig and his Dad, Ove,…
A Featured Favorite Blogger
April 18, 2012
This Growing Dome Greenhouse owner in New Mexico writes wonderful pieces on healthy off-grid living
Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership Comes into View
April 17, 2012
Last year we shared with you the vision for Pagosa Springs’ Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP) and how this sustainable movement was poised to change our community in big and beautiful ways. We are excited to post an update with a rendering of the proposed project and an overview of the design. This is all really…
March & April 2012 Dome of the Month Winners
April 16, 2012
Congratulations to Kris Gunning for this gorgeous photo of her families 42′ Growing Dome Greenhouse in British Columbia, Canada garnered the most attention of any entry to date. For how well received and liked the photo was and because we liked it too, this photo won the Dome of the Month contest for March 2012….
A Child in Canada Gets His Wish with a new Growing Dome Greenhouse
April 16, 2012
Ever heard about the “Children’s Wish Foundation”? Well we had the amazing opportunity to be involved with them in fulfilling the wish of a boy with Leukemia. He asked for his own Growing Dome. We’re speechless about how beautiful a thing this is and are very glad to share this nice article The Children’s Wish…
Where in the World Contest
April 16, 2012
Many of us can look at this photo and envision what will be a great adventure. Site selection, solar orientation, leveling the ground, leveling the ground, leveling, leveling, and more leveling. You get the picture, but wait… Where in the world is this future 26′ Growing Dome site? These iconic photos have become the feature…
Unusual Spring Weather
March 28, 2012
This early spring has been a guilty pleasure for what it seems like everyone in the continental United States, but we’re all secretly wondering what this means. Are we in for a major drought? When will the strong winds and tornadoes die down? Is this what global warming looks like? We definitely can’t answer any…
Spring Planting, Inside & Out
March 12, 2012
This is the most exciting time of year to be involved in gardening and we can’t help but join in and share spring planting info. When the bug hits to get growing it’s hard to resist, but when REALLY is the best time to sow what seeds in spring? And is there a way to…
Join Us on #gardenchat on Monday, 3/12 at 9pm MST
March 8, 2012
We were fortunate last summer to come upon a great community of gardeners on Twitter that gets together once a week on Monday nights at 9pm EST for an event called #gardenchat. #gardenghat is presented by Bren of Creative Living and Growing with Bren Haas and includes hundreds of well-educated professional and hobby gardeners from…
Cripple Creek Kids Start Their Own School Garden
March 7, 2012
This high altitude 22′ Growing Dome is finally coming to fruition for these elementary school students in Cripple Creek, Colorado and their story made the local newspaper. We are very excited for them and wish them happy gardening! Here’s an excerpt from the article: On the theory that kids are more likely to eat vegetables…
February Dome of the Month Winner
February 10, 2012
A big congratulations goes out to Helene Van Manen in Beulah, CO for winning the February Dome of the Month. This image of a Mule Deer in front of Helene’s 22′ Growing Dome captured everyone’s hearts. She’s been diligent this year in getting out in the snow, taking photos and sharing them with us. We…
Testing the Foundation of Your Garden
January 26, 2012
From time to time, we receive questions about the soil in the gardening beds of the Growing Dome. The question of soil, like many things in gardening, can be a life-long pursuit or can be a spontaneous leap of faith. Examining the interactions between micro-organisms, fungi, minerals, biomass and more keeps laboratories at the most…
An Entirely New Canvas
January 17, 2012
My family and I are in the first year with our 26′ Growing Dome. This winter we are not at full capacity because we didn’t have time to get all of the beds built before the soil we needed to bring into the greenhouse froze solid to the ground. Right now we’re growing in a…
January’s Dome of the Month Winner
January 6, 2012
Congratulations to Hakan Hammer of Norway on winning the Dome of the Month contest for January. He submitted two gorgeous photos of his 26′ Growing Dome in twilight. We had to choose between the two, which was difficult, so his second photo was the runner-up!