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About The Growing Patch

Here at The Growing Patch (TGP), we like to learn and share different things about plants and the lifestyle of  homesteading.


We are Growing!

Pun intended 😉.  Originally started in October 2012 with Garrett Martin, his wife Jessica Martin has joined the team January 2018!

Image may contain: Garrett W. Martin and Jessica Martin, people smiling, beard
That's us!

Which Means...

More content, more perspectives, with a little flair.  

Whether you're living the lifestyle of a homesteader, starting off or just interested in the idea of what this crazy word means,  we will be here to give you something to think about or even try.  We will be documenting our experiances while we are exploring plants, how to live off the land and perserve what we can as we go.

Together, we are taking steps to buy a farm with 40+ acres so that we can go from learning to fully living the dream of being full on homesteaders living off our land!
















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Contact TGP!

Hey, if you have a story you would like to tell about your indoor gardening, or have pictures of your plants, I would love to see them. You can send an e-mail to me at growingpatch@gmail.com . I'll try my best to respond as quick as I can.   Thanks,     Garrett.

Valentine Plants As Gifts

💘 It's time to be all Lovey and Dovey time 💘 Which you are.  Let's face it, that's why you're here.  You're looking for inspirational ideas or what to hope and dream for. Plants are great for this.  Not just the long stem, freshly cut flowers that will die eventually.  I'm talking about the ones that are in cute little pots and super easy to grow and maintain.   Aloe Vera Jade Plant Hyacinth Snake Plant Bamboo Onward to the Next Step! What makes a plant a great gift is how it is decorated.  The container is where the magic happens.  Have an idea of how you want the gift to be perceived.   Bright and Shiny Cute and Adorable  Rustic and Charming Simple and Pleasing  Get creative and have fun with it.  This is something that they will look at everyday and spend time thinking about you...   ...and THAT is what you are ...

Great sites for Gardening help.

When In Doubt. There are times when I need a little bit of gardening help. When my friends or family do not have an answer, I can always turn to the internet. I have found several great sites that have top quality information. Reddit   In the past few years, maybe you have heard of this site. If you have not, I suggest that you check it out. There are two areas of reddit that I like to go to. Gardening  - here you can find useful tips and stories by other gardeners. Even ask them questions if you can not find the answer. What Is This Plant  - Did you go hiking, and found an odd plant? Take a picture of the plant, and post it here. In a few hours someone will let you know what it is, or at least where to look. You Grow Girl   This site is very well written. The pictures in each post are very well done. I enjoy looking at You Grow Girl from time to time. I always seem to get inspired when I do. check out  You Grow Girl .  This is a great article...

Moss balls, my wet friends.

 Hello, I'm going to be talking about moss balls , and aquatic plant. I had to take down my half gallon tank yesterday and inside I had a moss ball. I had bought this plant at Petco when I worked there. I'm told that they only grow 5mm a year, but this moss ball has easily doubled his size in the past six months. Why would it grow so fast? If I were to guess, it would be because I had a very poor filter, led lights, and an over stocked tank. I had 15 fish in the half gallon tank. The plants that I had in there easily kept the tank clear and clean. This moss ball probably doubled in size because of that. So what is a moss ball, and why should you have one in your tank, or just in a jar?   The moss ball has a few names depending on where you go. Mirimo, lake ball, moss ball, Cladophora ball. This moss ball, isn't really moss. The moss ball is actual a type of algae.   Algae, why would I want to put that into my tank?     The moss ball will stay in its ...