The Backyard Farmer
Practical growing, DIY projects, and tools that work
Straight‑talking guides for growing your own food, building useful DIY projects, and choosing garden tools that actually work in real UK backyards.
I’m a time‑served gardener based on the Wirral. I spend my days growing food outdoors and maintaining gardens, while my evenings go into building websites, tools, and practical projects that solve real, everyday problems.
This site is for people who want to grow more food at home, build what they need, and rely less on throwaway solutions — without gimmicks, hype, or empty promises.
Start here
New to the site? Start with one of these, depending on what you want to do:
Grow indoors
Grow Outdoors
Start growing your own food with practical, UK‑focused outdoor gardening guides that help you. From soil basics and crop planning to seed‑saving, this section helps you build confidence season by season.
DIY Projects
Build it, fix it, or make it yourself. These DIY garden and home projects are designed to save money, solve real problems, and make better use of what you already have.
Foraging
Learn how to forage safely and seasonally in the UK. From wild plant identification to responsible harvesting, these guides help you turn hedgerow finds into something genuinely useful.
Explore more
If you’re happy browsing, you can explore the full archive of UK gardening guides, DIY projects, reviews, and tools.Browse the full archive of growing guides, DIY projects, reviews, and tools.
Reviews
Hands‑on, experience‑led garden tool reviews and buying guides, focused on what actually works in real UK backyards. As a Gardener, I use a wide range of tools and brands every day.
Solar Power
Learn the basics of small-scale solar power for gardens, sheds, and off-grid projects, with practical UK-focused guides and tools like our Solar Power Calculator.
Free Tools & Planners
The Tool Shed is where I keep the free tools I’ve built to solve real, everyday problems — planners, calculators, and finders I actually use myself.
Looking for free pallets near you for a DIY or garden project? The Free Pallet Finder Tool below helps you quickly locate nearby businesses that
Looking for free firewood near me (UK) without endlessly scrolling Facebook groups or ringing around random numbers? This free Firewood Finder UK tool helps you
Not sure which bee you’ve just spotted? If you’re trying to identify bees in the UK, you’re not alone. Many common species look similar at
The UK Vegetable Planting Calendar shows you exactly what to sow, plant, transplant, or harvest each month in the UK. Select your region and date
Plan your square foot garden layout in minutes. Design raised beds, organise crop rotation, and make the most of your growing space with this simple,
Latest Posts
The latest practical guides and seasonal updates — tested in real UK gardens.
Introduction Potatoes are one of the most rewarding crops to grow in the UK. However, knowing when to harvest potatoes in the UK can make
Introduction – What to Harvest in May (UK) If you’re wondering what to harvest in May (UK), this is the month when the vegetable garden
Introduction: Winter Gardening in the UK Winter might seem like a quiet time in the vegetable garden. However, it’s far from the end of the
Introduction Autumn might feel like the end of the growing season. However, for vegetable gardeners in the UK, it’s actually one of the best times
Introduction If you’re searching for free pallets in Liverpool, you might be surprised how easy they are to find once you know where to look.
Introduction – Why I Built a Wildlife Pond (And Why You Might Want To) Over the past few years, I’ve noticed more frogs on the
Join the Movement
The Backyard Farmer isn’t just a blog — it’s about doing things for yourself, learning useful skills, and enjoying the process along the way.
Grow your own. Make your own. Live your own way — one backyard at a time.