So, this last year I put in a “gazebo” (a quick set-up vendor shade you see at farmers’ markets) in the middle of the room to provide large shade and part shade habits for my plants. During the winter I removed the shade cover (to allow maximum heat penetration and left the skeleton standing (holding a few hanging baskets).

It has worked amazingly well, even bringing down the overall temperature of dome in summer!

It’s an inexpensive, quick, and effective solution.

If there is any way you can afford a growing dome, do it. ’nuff said.

We’ve had our 51′ dome for about seven years (I’ve been playing in it for only the last two years) and, although it’s no showcase dome, it has been fun and productive! Before the dome I was a devout non-gardener. Now the growing has become mostly my responsibility, and I even have a part-time job at a local greenhouse/nursery to boot!

The raised beds not only defend against frost, but take most of the “back breaking” out of the gardening work–I’m still not a huge fan of yard work or ground level beds.

One of the biggest treats of the dome for me has been I love having flowers in winter! It feels and smells like I’m walking into a flower shop when I enter the dome. Superb! And I have lot of fun watching our Koi in the 1,000 gal. tank and snakcing my way around the dome while watering and seeing what new surprises are there.

We are still working out kinks and developing the inside layout of the dome (we’re not fanatical gardeners and the bulk of the work is now done by me, so it’s taking us a bit longer to get it all going). Improvements come in fits and spurts. C’est la vie!

Examples of ongoing projects:
– automatic watering system (to give more even and consistent moisture–especially in summer and fall when our family business takes us out of town),
–filling up the dome space with greenery (2200 sq ft of floor space takes a lot of plants! but having lots of plants is necessary to keep it warm in winter and cool in summer),
–developing a floor plan we like that serves our needs and desires (food, flowers, welcoming social space), and
–finding affordable ways to even better insulate/heat the dome during the long, cold Wyoming winters (I love my flowers too much to lose them every winter–they make the dome an even happier place to be in).

I am using a mix of bed and container gardening (everything from small pots to Earth Boxes, which allow for design flexibility). Currently our raised beds are all along the outside wall. The central space has containers.

I prefer to mix the beauty of flowers in with vegetables and herbs (which to me can become a boring sea of green). The biggest problem in the winter is if the flowers are in the beds and near the glazing they will likely freeze off.

After doing some more research on heat transfer in domes, etc., I think this year I’ll put most of my flowers in containers and place them in the beds with the vegetables during the summer and in late fall move the flowers near the water tank and grow mostly cold-hardy veggies and herbs in the outer-wall beds. I bought a bunch of watering spikes and will use them with recycled plastic soda/water bottles in my containers.

Am also now pondering a small-medium above ground pool to paddle around in with my little nephews and niece–which would have the added benefit of being another large thermal mass! (A cool idea gleaned from this website. Thanks!)

Winter-hardy dome flowers in Wyoming so far have included: snap dragons, dianthus (carnation family), blanket flowers, and violas. However, most of my annuals (zone 4) are perennials in the dome (zone 5), even if they die off during the winter! The strawberry plants in the beds are essentially evergreens (which is a bittersweet attribute).

Questions I ponder:
Since having more plants helps moderate internal climate, should I leave the strawberries growing in the beds or cut them back and plant winter-hardy veggies?

Would putting in a false “drop ceiling” using wire and clear film help keep the heat loss down in the winter? And would that negatively impact the dome’s built-in ecosystem features?

Since rock retains heat (great in winter, but not great in summer when the dome swelters despite fans, vents and shades), do I put in rock walls and/or pathways or not?

If we put a fruit tree in the dome, should it be centered or off center (it’s a heat/light vs. shade thing–especially in consideration of the water tank’s thermal mass aspect)? Put another way: How negative an impact would a tree in the center have on the ability of the water tank to build up heat in the winter?

I noticed in your pics and videos, some people put raised beds or other items against the water tank or covered the top of the tank with container flowers. Doesn’t the shade created by these items lead to lower solar heat absorption by the tank (and, thus be a bad idea for northern climes)?

If I were to add another thermal mass feature, where should I (should I not) put it?

Ah, the questions could go on, but, if you’ve endured this marathon ramble post to this point, I won’t take anymore of your time. I hope, however, that this ramble stimulates ideas, ponderings, and considerations for you, whether you’re a dome owner or are considering entering the wonderful
world of the dome. If you have answers to my questions, I’d love to hear them!

Peace and blessings to all,
Susan
Glenrock, WY