In 2017, Erin Hostetler started The Patio Farmer as a part-time gig to offer hands-on support and education to Charlotte residents on planting and home gardening. The business started organically as a Facebook page and it evolved as Hostetler added new services to meet the needs of current and future clients. In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Hostetler’s client base multiplied by five shifting her part-time business into a full time operation.

The Patio Farmer launched providing three core services: consultation, installation, and maintenance. During consultation, Hostetler meets with a client virtually or in-person to discuss the client’s wants and needs. During this time, clients can ask questions while Hostetler documents the available and potential space for their home garden. After the initial meeting, a plan is developed and proposed.

Once a plan is agreed on, clients can follow the plan themselves or hire The Patio Farmer to implement; preparing the space and installing the beds and plants. The relationship with the client continues once installation is complete, providing a customized maintenance plan on what the client is growing, how to plant, water, feed, and harvest. The plan also includes troubleshooting, like pests to look out for and signs of unhealthy plants. Follow-up visits are also included. The three core services are customizable and can be purchased as a package (annual or half-annual) or selected a la carte.

Additional services include out-of-town maintenance and personal shopping at nurseries with or without clients. Since the pandemic, like most businesses, The Patio Farmer adapted and expanded on services offering pre-planted containers, home delivery, and a monthly Plant Club subscription.

The Plant Club includes a monthly grow kit with containers, soil, seed or plant, and a tool; an hour-long virtual plant chat, access to a private Facebook Group for club discussion; and a weekly newsletter with videos, maintenance information, and special offers from Plant Club partners Nourish, Verde Tribe, and Ekologicall.

“I love the Plant Club and am thrilled with it,” Hostetler says. “We’re about six months in with the club and have about 30 members, but expect to add another 20 in the coming months.”

The increased interest of home gardening since the pandemic is proving to not be a temporary interest. Traditionally, January and February are slower months for The Patio Farmer, but since the start of 2021 Hostetler has been booked with consultations and planning for installations in the spring.

“This year has been busy with lots of consultation and enthusiasm carrying over from last year,” Hostetler says.

Currently, The Patio Farmer is just Hostetler, but the business owner has set a goal to hire an assistant by next year. Hostetler is also looking to expand teaching and group learning, increase the Plant Club to include more members, partner with communities like apartment complexes to host community gardening, and to have a brick and mortar to work with local businesses to install edible landscape and containers.

Currently, The Patio Farmer offers services to Mecklenburg County and surrounding areas like Lake Norman, Gastonia, Rock Hill, and Monroe.

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