Gardening
You can successfully grow plants anywhere…
All you need to successfully grow plants are three elements:
light, nutrients and water.
If you are new to gardening, a seasoned gardener or a Plant “Angel of Death,” I can help you.
NEW: Seed Starting Guide
Do you know how to grow plants from seed successfully?
Growing plants, particularly vegetables and herbs, is a fundamental piece of building a resilient life. There is nothing like growing healthy plants and harvesting produce and herbs in the late summer and autumn.
This FREE Seed Starting Guide will walk you through my process for growing vegetables and herbs from seed successfully. You do not need expensive equipment!
Click the button below, sign up for our mailing list and get your FREE Seed Starting Guide today!
Blue Ribbon Articles and Podcast Episodes

Intro to Rain Gutter Grow Systems
This is one of our most popular posts on Small Scale Life. In my experience, I have found that gardeners struggle to water plants routinely, especially if that person works a job away from home for extended periods of time (i.e., sales, transportation, medical positions or public service positions). I have found a method of gardening that meets all of these needs. This method is a type of Wicking Beds called Rain Gutter Grow Systems, and in this post, I am going to introduce you to these systems.
Vertical Garden 101: Introduction to Vertical Gardening
Space is always a premium in gardens, especially when you are a renter. I had to get creative using space to grow food, and one creative way to expand is to capitalize the unused airspace. This post is an introduction to vertical gardening, and additional articles will cover how I built and maintain the vertical gardens I am used in 2016.
How to Prune Tomatoes to Improve Production
In our small gardens, I am here to grow produce, not leaves and branches. I can’t eat those! One way to increase your tomato production is by pruning tomatoes. In this episode, I am going to discuss how to prune tomatoes to improve the health of your plants and to grow more tomatoes. Buckle up, buttercup, because we are going to talk about aggressively pruning those plants!
Urban Farming Advice
Michael Bell and Scott Hebert return to discuss urban farming advice and best practices. Topics discussed during this podcast includes their farms, their markets, typical yields, watering crops, harvesting product, successfully marketing products and potentially expanding their operations.
Urban Farming with Michael Bell
Inspired by some of my heroes including Gary Vee, Curtis Stone and JM Fortier, Michael is carving out his organic footprint in a quiet spot six miles from down Downtown Dallas. It is pretty cool talking with Michael, and I learned a lot from him. Whether it is starting your own small business (not necessarily urban farming) or getting fit, I think there is something for everyone in these next two podcasts!
Latest Harvest from the Garden
Restarting Our Small Scale Life
After a long hiatus this Spring, Host Tom Restarts Our Small Scale Life. He reintroduces himself, the Small Scale Life Podcast and Driftless Oaks Farm
Raised Bed Garden Ideas to Improve Your Garden
There are a lot of ways to grow vegetables and herbs. Let’s discuss raised bed garden ideas to improve your gardening experience.
Introduction: How to Start Gardening Series
It can feel overwhelming to start gardening. If you feel this way, this How to Start Gardening Series is designed to help you grow plants!
Our Time is Finite; Prepare for a Season of Change!
In this 187th Episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, I discuss about how Our Time is Finite as we enter a Season of Change here at Small Scale Life, Small Scale Gardening and Eagles Ridge.
Gardening Tips and Advice with Demler and Bell
In this Small Scale Life Episode, I talk with professional gardeners Drew Demler and Michael Bell about practical Gardening Tips and Advice that will help make you garden grow!
Building an Urban Farm from Scratch with Michael Bell
In this episode of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Michael Bell and I discuss how he is Building an Urban Farm from Scratch in Dallas, Texas.