Phil Castle, The Business Times

Isaiah and Nikki Tyler oversee a growing venture in every sense of those words.

The Tylers own and operate Desert Bloom Hydroponics, a Grand Junction business that sells a variety of seeds, soils and other supplies for indoor and outdoor gardening. But they’re also expanding the operation by offering more products as and services — classes, for example. And thanks in part to what they attribute to more interest in growing mushrooms, business has increased.

“It’s been everything we’ve been looking for,” Isaiah says.

What the Tylers were looking was a venture that combined their training and experience in accounting, business management and education with their passion for gardening. They found it after moving to the Grand Valley and discovering Desert Bloom Hydroponics. What they told Kurtis Houston, the former owner of the business, was prophetic, Isaiah says. “We wanted to own this someday.”

When Houston, who became a friend and mentor, decided to retire, he sold the business to the Tylers.

That was in October 2022. The Tylers have since refurbished the building on Pitkin Avenue that houses Desert Bloom Hydroponics and before that a carpet and flooring business.

They’ve also stocked the shelves with an assortment of products — nearly everything needed for indoor or outdoor gardening regardless of the interests or skill levels of the gardeners.

Isaiah brings to the venture experience in accounting and business management. He holds a master’s of business administration degree. Nikki brings to the venture experience in education and working with children with hearing loss. She holds a master’s degree as well.

The Tylers also bring to the venture their love of gardening.

Isaiah attributes his interest to his youth and working with his grandmother in her garden. “She gave me a love of the gardening way of life.”

Nikki says gardening is a part of the culture in Jamaica, where she grew up.

The Tylers sell a variety of hydroponic systems in which to grow plants using water rather than soil as a growing medium.

Nikki says hydroponics offers a good way to grow plants indoors as well as control the exact amount of nutrients plants take up through their roots. Hydroponics promotes more rapid and robust growth, she says.

The business also sells a variety of soils and supplements for more traditional indoor and outdoor gardening. That’s not to mention seeds and seedlings, houseplants, a variety of containers in which to propagate and grow plants, gardening tools and other accessories.

The goal, the Tylers say, is to serve as a one-stop gardening shop.

The Tylers obtain as many of their products as they can from local sources and vendors to promote collaborations. “That’s very important to us,” Isaiah says.

The Tylers use a Vortex system to brew what they call compost tea, a solution of nutrients and microorganisms that promote plant health and growth. They offer the first gallon of compost tea to their customers at no charge.

Desert Bloom Hydroponics also sells spores, substrates and other supplies for growing mushrooms.

Nikki says there’s increased interest in growing oyster, shitake and other types of gourmet mushrooms used in cooking as well as lion’s mane, turkey tail and other types of medicinal mushrooms used to promote health.

A new law also makes it legal in Colorado for people 21 and older to grow psychedelic mushrooms in private residences.

In addition to products, the Tylers offer education in many forms, including books and the regular classes they offer at their store covering a range of subjects.

More than anything, they say they want people to feel comfortable about coming in, asking questions, sharing their interests and building a community.

“We want everyone in Grand Junction to know what this shop is about,” Nikki says.

And that’s yet another sense, the Tylers say, of a growing venture.

Desert Bloom Hydroponics is located at 445 Pitkin Ave. in Grand Junction and open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call (970) 245-6247 or log on to https://desertbloomgardening.com.