Happy Holidays …

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...

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Proof that Gardening Gives a Natural Mood Lift

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...

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Shumei International Institute Members Visit Growing Spaces

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.,...

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Naropa University Greenhouse Conducts Valuable Research

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...

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6 Ways to Be 1 Amazing Kid

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...

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Becoming a Green Business

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...

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Garden Innovation Continues at Reed City High School

It’s been well over a year now that we have been following Reed City High School’s progress in their 51′ Growing Dome. The science students are working on a number of innovative gardening projects including aquaponics, hydroponics and vermicomposting. It’s so fantastic to see this group of youth getting the full benefit of the learning...

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November 2012 – Dome of the Month Winner

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.

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Homemade Organic Pest Control Sprays

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...

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U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet’s Staff Visit Growing Spaces

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...

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Enter to Win: Owner Video Contest

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...

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Mini University Dome

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,...

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Greenhouse Helps New Gardener Learn Quickly

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′...

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Truckee Community Farm Wins Your 2 Cents Grant

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...

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August’s Dome of the Month

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!

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The Return Customers

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.

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Story Time With Truckee Community Farm

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...

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Restoring Keweenaw Bay, Michigan

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...

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$1000 for Making Food Awesome

Have an awesome idea involving food? Raising funds for a school or community garden and need more help? Follow this link to learn more: The Awesome Foundation Here’s what Awesome Food has to say: “Awesome Food, the Food Chapter of the Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences wants to help you pull off your ideas for improving our...

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SWEDEN: Final Installation

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...

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Keynote Address: Staying Centered in the Cyclone

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...

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Learning in Grand Traverse Academy’s Growing Dome

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...

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Nurturing Families in Our Community

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...

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June 2012 Dome of the Month

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...

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SWEDEN: Installation Finished!

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!  

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SWEDEN: International Installation Begins

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...

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SWEDEN: We’re On Our Way!

“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....

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The Harvest Center Makes News

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...

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Students Learn Firsthand About Growing Food

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...

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Where in the World? – SWEDEN

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,...

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Testimonial from May’s Dome of the Month Winner

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...

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Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership Comes into View

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...

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Where in the World Contest

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...

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March & April 2012 Dome of the Month Winners

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....

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Listen in on Positive About Pagosa

We have a great recording to share with you from an interview at the local KWUF Radio’s Positive About Pagosa radio show with Udgar Parsons, Growing Spaces LLC owner and founder. Udgar shares his journey of discovering Pagosa Springs, Colorado as the home for his family and his business as well as how he came...

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Unusual Spring Weather

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...

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Love this Local Business

We love to help our community eat locally and be a vibrant hub for business and innovation. We share our knowledge of organic gardening, green corporate practices, and healthy lifestyles with individuals, communities and educational institutions. We are a Made in America manufacturing company. We love where we live and give back all we can...

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Spring Planting, Inside & Out

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...

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Monday, March 12 #gardenchat host: Stacey Couch

Stacey Couch was the Creative Media Coordinator for Growing Spaces LLC. She wrangles social media, navigates our online presence, and harmonizes overall marketing efforts. Her background includes a degree in Conservation Biology, Evolution, and Ecology, and years working in the field studying ornithology and botany. More recently she’s worked for animal welfare non-profit organizations and...

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INTRODUCING…The Classic Kit

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes the last 6 months deciding how we can change our company and our product to better serve you and make the experience of buying and owning a Growing Dome even more enjoyable. Over the next couple of months we’ll be rolling out some new features. The first phase...

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Join Us on #gardenchat on Monday, 3/12 at 9pm MST

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...

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Cripple Creek Kids Start Their Own School Garden

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...

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February Dome of the Month Winner

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...

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Testing the Foundation of Your Garden

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...

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An Entirely New Canvas

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...

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January’s Dome of the Month Winner

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!

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