Tropical Plant
Beyond food crops, the Growing Dome creates a year-round tropical environment for ornamental plants that wouldn't survive outdoor conditions in most of the country: hibiscus, palms, tropical foliage, orchids, plumeria, and more. Dome owners across cold climates are using their domes as much for the lush ornamental atmosphere as for food production. From tropical blooms to dramatic foliage, the ornamental side of dome ownership transforms the space into something genuinely magical. Explore species selection across common and lesser-known tropicals, light and water requirements, integration with food production beds, propagation, and stories from owners on the ornamental dimension of dome growing.
Gold in the Garden: Why Turmeric is the Ultimate Greenhouse Crop
December 29, 2025
Turmeric is easy to grow in pots, the garden or in a greenhouse. As a tropical plant, turmeric often grows in dappled light in humid climates.
Growing Tropical Plants in a Greenhouse Where Snow and Desert Meet
December 19, 2025
Growing tropical plants in a greenhouse is possible in the high desert. See how one grower creates year-round abundance.
Thriving Tropical Forest Garden in a Washington Greenhouse
July 2, 2025
Discover a lush forest garden in a Washington greenhouse by Newman Lake, where tropical plants thrive in a Growing Dome year-round.
How to Grow Lemongrass and Citronella in a Dome Greenhouse
July 1, 2025
Growing lemongrass and citronella in your dome will provide you with beauty, culinary uses for lemongrass and medicinal uses from both plants.
Growing Tropical Paradise in Idaho: Bill George’s Innovative Dome Greenhouse
January 27, 2025
In Nampa, Idaho, an unexpected tropical oasis thrives in a 26-foot Growing Dome during the depths of December. A passionate horticulturist grows exotic fruits
Nasturtiums: Edible, Effortless, Dazzling Companion Plants
May 29, 2024
Nasturiums are easy to grow, edible, a gorgeous ground cover and a great companion plant for your greenhouse garden or outdoor garden.
How to Grow Fruit Trees in a Greenhouse
April 17, 2021
Fruit trees can be a healthy addition to most dome greenhouse gardens above zone 3. They provide fresh fruit and shade in the summer with the bonus of attracting pollinators when flowering. Understanding a plant’s natural environment (tropical, subtropical, or temperate to continental) and how to stimulate it will help you grow a wide variety of plants from fruit trees to shrubs, which will give you more confidence in your dome gardening adventure.
Unlocking Paradise: Tropical Greenhouse in a Cold Climate
December 2, 2020
When most people think of a tropical getaway, they imagine it on a beach in the Bahamas or a bungalow in the Caribbean. You would never imagine such a lush tropical place to exist in a greenhouse in New York unless you are the students of Homestead School, that is.
The Best Organic Immune Boosters for Cold and Flu Season
November 30, 2019
It’s here, the dreaded cold and flu season. I got an early start this year after countless hours in the airport traveling back and forth from Thailand. After two weeks of spicy flu fighters and immune boosters in Asia, I was inspired to come home and share them with you. So, here they are, my…
Tropical Flowers in New Mexico Mountain Greenhouse
November 30, 2019
Matt & Christie’s New Mexico Mountain Greenhouse is growing beautiful tropical flowers year-round If you are an avid user of the Growing Spaces Facebook Group “Growing Dome Enthusiasts”, then you are no doubt familiar with our December Growing Dome of the Month owner, Matt Larson. He often posts pictures of his extraordinary flowers in his…
Growing Bananas at 60 Degrees North
November 26, 2018
Janet and I first met Bjorn Oliviusson in Fall 2012 when we arrived to help install the 33′ Growing Dome Greenhouse sold to the Royal Institution of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. As described in Bjorn’s post, it ended up at a school near the university, a pleasant setting, but late Fall in Stockholm the sunlight…
Oregon Tropical Flowers in Winter
December 7, 2012
This Growing Dome Greenhouse in Oregon is flourishing in winter