Why We Created the Growzebo™

When I first brought up the idea of another greenhouse, I had two things in mind: a price target and a customer we miss out on.

I was thinking about someone who likes what Growing Spaces builds but is not going to buy a Growing Dome. For some people, even a 15- or 18-foot Dome is more greenhouse than they need. For others, it is simply more than they want or can afford to spend.

I wanted us to have a real answer for that person. That was about as far as my brief went. I did not give the team a shape or a drawing. They handled the structure, the prototype, the way the kit would go together, and the interior options.

What they built became the Growzebo™, a three-season, walk-in greenhouse with about 167 square feet inside.

We built it beside the Domes

The first Growzebo went up on our campus in Pagosa Springs, about 20 yards from all six of our demonstration Growing Domes®. That put six full-size examples a short walk away throughout the build.

At any point, the team could walk out of the new structure and into a 15-foot Dome, then a 26-foot Dome, then a 42-foot Dome. They could compare the light, wall height, door placement, growing room, and the way beds and paths shape the interior. We use those six Domes for tours and education, but we learn from them too.

The thing about being a non-imported American-made direct-to-consumer company, is that every employee works from the same 3 acre campus, and everyone is knowledgeable on the product, and gardening in general. Production, sales, and marketing brought different questions. Our finance and HR team actively participated for love of the product and brand. Someone on the production floor could spot a connection that looked fine on paper but would be awkward to build. Our advisors knew which details were likely to prompt questions before or after delivery. Once the first frame was up, the team could judge the wall space, door swing, roof height, and ventilation layout at full scale.

They handled the project from beginning to end, and the result made me incredibly proud of what this team is capable of. The finished product is a reflection of the knowledge, collaboration, and pride this team brings to their work every day.

Why the hexagon won

We considered several shapes before settling on the hexagon.

Once we saw the hexagonal version, though, it was the one we kept returning to. The straight sides worked well for beds and benches. The center stayed open. The roofline gave the interior more height without making the walls hard to use.

It is also hard to spend that much time looking at hexagons without thinking about honeycomb. Once we noticed the resemblance, we liked the shape even more. Honey bees seem like appropriate company for a greenhouse.

The name followed pretty quickly. With the Growing Dome already at the heart of our product line, we knew we wanted the new product to carry that same “Grow” connection. Its six-sided footprint and open center felt a little like a garden gazebo, and Growzebo became the natural combination.

How we kept the price down

We reached the lower price by narrowing the structural requirements. The clearest tradeoff is snow. The current design has been evaluated for a maximum ground snow load of 25 psf, so it is not intended for deep-snow sites. Keeping that requirement lower helped us reach the price target. Local snow, wind, foundation, and permitting requirements still need to be checked before ordering.

The snow rating is separate from the quality of the enclosure. We kept the same 16 mm, five-wall polycarbonate glazing used on our Growing Domes. The 24-inch foundation wall is designed for rigid foam insulation, which the owner supplies locally.

We also paid attention to warm days in the cool and mild climates we had in mind. The standard kit includes an automatic upper vent, a 12-inch solar-powered wall fan, and a storm door with a screened window that opens. A second automatic upper vent can be added as an option. The window, roof vent, and wall fan provide both passive and solar-powered ways to exchange air as the greenhouse warms.

We did not carry over the complete four-season system of a Growing Dome: the geodesic frame, reflective north-wall insulation, above-ground pond, and undersoil air circulation. Those features add cost, but they also do real work through winter. The Growzebo still has five-wall glazing and a foundation wall designed for owner-installed rigid foam insulation. That makes it a good enclosure for extending the season, but it does not make it a less expensive Growing Dome.

One thing I do not want the lower price to imply is that someone can add a heater and make the two equivalent. The Growzebo does not have the pond or reflective north wall that help a Dome make use of winter sun. If I were trying to hold the same indoor temperature in both structures, I would plan on using more active heat in the Growzebo and paying more to run it.

Who I think the Growzebo™ is for

I think the best locations will be places with relatively mild winters, chilly weather, and long spring and fall seasons. Many low-elevation communities along the Pacific Coast fit that description. So do milder, lower-snow coastal areas in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.

In those places, a gardener may want room to start seedlings, protect plants from rain and wind, keep harvesting later into fall, overwintering plants, and work inside without needing a full winter climate system. A cold frame can cover a smaller growing area close to the ground. The Growzebo is for someone who wants a greenhouse they can walk into, with enough room for beds, benches, containers, and a place to sit.

For homeowners, homesteaders, schools, and community gardens, I still think the Growing Dome is our best four-season solution. Professional nurseries are a different market. They generally plan around commercial greenhouse systems with active heating and cooling.

I would also steer someone toward a properly configured Dome for deep snow, frequent hard freezes, or a northern or high-elevation site where serious winter weather is part of the equation, even if they only plan to grow from spring through fall.

For three-season growing in a mild-winter, lower-snow climate, we now have another walk-in option at a lower price.

Anyway, that was the original assignment. I gave the team a price target and a rough description of the customer. They handled everything else, from the shape and framing to the ventilation and interior options. I am proud to put the Growzebo alongside the six Domes that helped inspire it.

Explore the Growzebo™ greenhouse kit.

-Gary