dome greenhouses: old wisdom meets new challenges in my backyard
This summer, I built a dome greenhouse in my backyard, and it took me right back to the days when my grandmother would drag me out to her rambling vegetable patch, hands deep in the earth. Back then, gardening was about following the rhythms of the land—no fancy structures, just sweat, patience, and the occasional prayer for rain.
But now, with our unpredictable North American weather—one week a heatwave, the next a cold snap—I felt I needed something more. My dome greenhouse is a marvel of modern design: lightweight, energy-efficient, and, some say, a bit of an eyesore compared to the old wooden frames my neighbors remember. My son calls it a spaceship; my neighbor, Mrs. Thompson, shakes her head and mutters about "ruining the neighborhood charm."
Yet, inside that dome, tomatoes ripen when the outside world is still frostbitten. I grow herbs year-round, and the scent of basil on a snowy January morning is a balm for my soul. Still, I hear the whispers—"Why not just plant in the ground like we always have?"—and I wonder if I’m breaking with tradition or just adapting it for our changing times.
There’s a tension here: the nostalgia for open-air gardens versus the need to adapt to harsher climates and stricter HOA rules. Some folks say my dome is a beacon of hope for sustainable living; others see it as an eyesore, a step away from the community’s roots.
What do you think? Are we losing something precious by embracing these new techniques, or is this just the next chapter in our gardening story?
#greenhousegardening #familytraditions #climatechange #Gardening
