Launch of Our New Grow Dome

Aug 30, 2024

We gathered in our Round House Paddock to celebrate the launch of our new polytunnel, The Grow Dome.

Our garden team has worked very hard on the project, which started in 2023. We are immensely grateful for the funding from the National Garden Scheme, which followed a successful funding bid. This support has allowed us to proudly ‘open’ the new Grow Dome.

Our Tools for Self-Reliance workshop created a beautiful plaque that hangs at the entrance, which was unveiled by our resident Owen to residents, staff, and trustees.

Our community gathered to see the incredible work the gardening team have done to create the gardens.

Big thanks to the National Open Garden Scheme for the grant to make the space happen!

About The Grow Dome

Horticulture is a significant part of our activities at Camphill MK. We grow edible food for our houses and Cafe, and residents work the land and learn how to grow and care for plants. We also grow things for our Art & Craft and Weaver workshops, including flax and hops. Our green spaces are essential for the well-being of the natural habitat and also for our staff and residents.

The ground preparation for the construction of the Grow Dome was, by far, the most challenging aspect. Our gardens team de-turfed the paddock area and then levelled it up. It took weeks! Using our tractor and then people-power, we covered the surface with woodchips to level it up. We had to brush up on our mathematics, and using Euclid’s theorem, we measured the 22 foundation posts. Then we dug out the 22 holes, which needed to be very deep to ensure structure stability, before finally putting down our anchor plate. The final part of this phase involved placing all the metal loops, which was also a big challenge.

We then created the ventilation sides and the doors, which saw residents involved with a lot of noisy hammering for a few weeks. Finally, we put up the polythene cover, waiting for the best weather conditions to be able to pull it up. And again, we had to re-adjust all the ventilation sidebars!

Thank you to everyone who helped in the process.