Tried, True, and New: What Our Garden Team Is Growing This Summer

And just like that — it’s June already!?

We’re halfway through the year, and between testing new products, experimenting with garden layouts, and caring for our six demonstration Growing Dome greenhouses, our garden team has been busy tending starts, seedlings, blooms, and big summer garden dreams.

The Growing Spaces Garden Team

From peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers to new flowers, herbs, and a few fun experiments, here’s what our garden team is especially excited to grow — and eat — this summer.

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Laura’s Picks

Shishito Peppers: Tried and True

Shishito peppers were one of my favorite garden treats from last summer. These small, thin-skinned Japanese peppers are usually mild, slightly sweet, and perfect for blistering in a hot pan. Every once in a while, one will surprise you with a little kick of heat, which is part of the fun.

Last year, we grew them in our 22-foot Growing Dome as part of an Asian-inspired garden theme, and they quickly became one of the standouts. They gave us harvest after harvest, stayed reliable and productive, and their compact size made it easy to tuck more plants into the garden beds.

One of my favorite summer meals was picking dozens of shishitos, taking them home, and throwing them in a pan or the air fryer with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Served with a side of ranch, they made the perfect appetizer — or, honestly, the perfect “girl dinner” for those hot summer nights when you do not feel like cooking.

They were simple, snackable, easy to prepare, and so worth growing again.

Mexican Gherkins: Tried and True

Mexican gherkins, also known as cucamelons, were one of our favorite experiments from last year.

We had never tasted them before, but they quickly became a staff and visitor favorite. These tiny fruits look like miniature watermelons, but they have a crisp cucumber-like texture with a bright, slightly tangy flavor. They are about grape-sized, easy to snack on, and incredibly fun to grow.

We harvested pounds upon pounds of them. Some were eaten fresh, some were pickled, and all of them sparked conversation.

They also provided an incredible amount of shade in the 18-foot Growing Dome where we had them trellised. They grew and grew and grew all the way until late fall.

At the end of the season, we were surprised to find that the plants had produced huge tubers under the soil. We dug them up, stored them over winter, and this year we planted them in a much larger dome — our 42-foot Growing Dome — to see if we can get the same vigorous, shade-producing growth on an even bigger scale.

Biquinho Peppers: New Kid on the Block

Biquinho peppers are one of the new varieties I am especially excited about this year.

I first tried them while traveling to Denver for the ProGreen EXPO. They came on a delicious chopped salad I ordered at a restaurant called Teachers Lounge, and I had never had anything quite like them before.

Biquinho means “little beak” in Portuguese, a nod to the pepper’s tiny pointed shape. They are known for their unique tropical flavor, combining sweet, fruity, and slightly tangy notes with a distinctive smoky undertone. Despite being in the same pepper species as habaneros, they are very mild, generally ranging from about 500 to 1,000 Scoville heat units, which allows their complex flavor to shine without overwhelming heat.

Before lunch was even over, I was already Googling how to grow them and where to find seed.

We have a few plants going now in the 18-foot Growing Dome, and I am hopeful for this juicy little flavor bomb.

Papalo: New Kid on the Block

Papalo is a new herb we are trying this year.

It is often described as a heat-loving alternative to cilantro, which is exciting because cilantro always seems to go to flower no matter what time of year we plant it or what cultivar we choose. Papalo is native to Mexico and is known for its bold, unique flavor.

The plant can grow into a bushy, three-foot-plus herb with a fun, unusual growth habit. I am hopeful it fills out nicely in the dome and becomes a flavorful addition to summer dishes, especially salsas, salads, and anything that could use a bright herbal kick.

Kim’s Picks

Kim has been working with us for just over a year now, which means this is her second summer season helping care for the Growing Domes. Here is what she is looking forward to this year.

Orchard Baby Sweet Corn: New This Year

This summer, we are trying Orchard Baby Sweet Corn in the 42-foot Growing Dome.

Last year, we grew corn using the Three Sisters method, planting it alongside beans and squash to help fill out the center bed. This year, we are dedicating an entire block just to corn and are trying a variety with a shorter season and more compact plants.

Orchard Baby Sweet Corn felt like a great choice for a Growing Dome experiment because it was bred for smaller garden spaces. The plants reach about 3 to 5 feet tall, but can still produce two ears per stalk. That smaller size makes it a fun option for gardeners who want to try growing corn in tighter spaces, raised beds, or even large containers.

This variety matures in about 65 days and produces yellow kernels with classic sweet corn flavor.

For us, this is part food crop and part garden experiment. We are excited to see whether this compact sweet corn can thrive in our greenhouse environment — and, of course, whether it earns a spot on the “grow again” list.

Tomatoes and Peppers: The More, the Better

Kim is also excited about all the tomatoes and peppers we are growing this year — and there are a lot of them!

This season, we have 10 types of tomatoes and 12 types of peppers growing throughout the domes. From classic favorites to new varieties, we are looking forward to seeing which ones thrive, which ones surprise us, and which ones become staff favorites by the end of summer.

One exciting new pepper variety we are trying is the Nadapeño, which is described as having jalapeño flavor with no spice. But don’t worry, heat lovers — we are growing plenty of hot peppers too, including returning favorites like Datil peppers, which we overwintered from last year, and Pumpkin Spice jalapeños, a beautiful orange variety we started from seed.

We are also prioritizing smaller snacking-sized tomatoes this year, since they seem to be a favorite with our team and visitors alike.

Did you know we encourage snacking when you come tour our site? There is nothing quite like tasting something fresh from the vine.

Zinnias: Old Favorites and New Varieties

Last year, the zinnias were beautiful all summer long, and Kim cannot wait to see this year’s new varieties in bloom.

This season, we are adding Queen Lime Red and Benary’s Giant Lime, both of which bring those dreamy green, lime, and chartreuse tones that make bouquets feel extra unique. We are excited to see how they mix with the brighter colors in the garden and add a little unexpected drama to our flower arrangements.

Our “chaos garden” zinnia bed was easily the most successful experiment from last year. Filled with cut-and-come-again zinnias, the bed gave us bouquet after bouquet of colorful flowers. Our office, staff, family, and friends all got to enjoy the benefits, and the more we cut, the more they seemed to bloom.

Another unexpected bonus? The visiting deer seemed to ignore the zinnia bed last year. So this season, we are expanding zinnias into other areas of the property to test whether that was a fluke, or if they might become one of our go-to flowers for adding color in more exposed spaces.

Zinnias are also a great choice for sunny, drier areas once they are established. While they still need regular water to get going, they tend to handle heat and dry conditions better than many other flowers, making them a practical and beautiful option as we think about more drought-tolerant plantings around the property.

Figs: Recipe Ideas Welcome

Kim also mentioned that she wants to find more recipes for using our figs, which is good timing because our fig trees are already fully loaded this season.

We grow both Black Mission figs and Kadota figs on site, with trees planted in our 22-foot, 26-foot, and 42-foot Growing Domes. Our fig trees range in age and size, from younger trees that are still getting established to larger, more mature trees that have become true focal points in the domes.

Figs are always a fun crop for us because they bring such a different texture and flavor to the garden. Sweet, soft, and rich — and they are just as good eaten fresh as they are worked into something more creative.

This year, it looks like we may get even more fruit than last year, so we are hoping to put those figs to good use. We are open to ideas, so if you have a favorite fig recipe, please send it our way. We are always looking for new ways to enjoy what we grow.

Leiah’s Picks

You might recognize Leiah from our YouTube videos, and this summer she has a few tried-and-true favorites she is especially excited about.

Tomatoes, Of Course

Tomatoes made the list not once, but twice. Would it really be summer without fresh, juicy tomatoes?

One variety Leiah is especially looking forward to growing again is Apricot Zebra. This cherry tomato is almost too pretty to eat — almost. The fruit starts with lime-green shoulders and fine green striping, then ripens into a brilliant tangerine-yellow color. The tomatoes are slightly oblong, about golf-ball sized, and have a firm texture that makes them perfect for salads, snacking, and eating straight from the vine.

“They taste so lovely,” Leiah said.

After last year’s harvest, Apricot Zebra earned a spot on the list of things we cannot wait to grow again. It was vigorous, productive, disease-resistant, and one of the best-tasting tomatoes we tried, with a sweet, flavorful bite and wonderful texture.

Some of the other tomato varieties we are trialing this year include Spoon Tomatoes, Queen of the Night, Barry’s Crazy Cherry, Sakura, Black Cherry, and Black Strawberry.

Ladybug Babies and Bees

Of course, Leiah had to include bugs on her list. Around here, she is affectionately known as “the bug lady,” so it only makes sense that ladybug babies and bees would get a special shoutout.

What would a garden be without its pollinators and natural pest defenders? A thriving garden is not just about the plants we grow. It is also about the beneficial insects, pollinators, and tiny garden helpers that make the whole ecosystem work.

We make sure to plant pollinator-friendly flowers both outside and inside the domes, prioritizing areas close to the doors, vents, and pollinator windows to help attract our garden friends inside. Seeing ladybug babies and bees in and around the domes is always a good sign, and it is one of the little joys of the season.

Ladybugs help keep pests like aphids in check, while bees and other pollinators help bring the garden to life, moving from flower to flower and supporting future harvests.

Some of their go-to flowers we had this spring included salvia, lacy phacelia, and White Lace Orlaya. Watching those blooms buzz with activity was a sweet reminder that sometimes the most exciting things growing in the garden are not plants at all.

Big Jim Green Chiles

Peppers made the list not once, but twice too. They are clearly a summer favorite around here.

Big Jim green chiles were another hit from last year, and this season we are giving them even more room to grow in the 42-foot Growing Dome.

Being located in Southwest Colorado, green chiles are part of the regional food culture, so this variety feels especially fitting for our garden. Big Jim is known for producing impressively large peppers, with pods that can reach up to a foot in length. They are a classic choice for chiles rellenos, grilling, roasting, and stuffing.

The flavor and heat level are another reason we are excited to grow more of them. Big Jim peppers offer a medium heat, a bit milder than an average jalapeño, making them versatile enough for a wide range of recipes. They were introduced by the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University and are known for being hardy, vigorous plants.

After last year’s success, we increased the number of plants this season and are hoping for a much bigger harvest.

Strawberries: Toward a Strawberry Forest

Strawberries are also getting more space this year.

We have dedicated an area in the 42-foot Growing Dome, under the fig tree, entirely to strawberries. Leiah said, “If I could make a strawberry forest…”

And honestly, we support that dream.

This year, we have prioritized growing Alpine strawberries, which have been a favorite for their small, sweet, intensely flavorful berries. We were able to quadruple our plants from last year by separating and up-potting the runners, giving us a much fuller strawberry planting to work with this season.

We also recently started Tresca strawberries from seed, a variety from Poland, and planted them out in one of our new cold frames. We’re excited to see how each variety finds its place—how they grow, produce, and settle into their own corners of the strawberry forest.

What Are You Excited to Grow?

Every growing season brings a mix of old favorites, new experiments, surprises, and lessons learned. Some plants become instant favorites. Some take a little patience. And some do not make the cut — so we pass the seeds along and see if someone else wants to give them a go.

That is part of the fun of gardening. Every season teaches us something new.

What are you most excited to grow this summer? And what kind of articles would you like to see from us next?

Happy summer growing!