This archive brings together practical, experience-led articles from The Backyard Farmer, covering gardening, DIY, indoor growing, foraging, reviews, and sustainable living. Each post is written with real-world use in mind — focusing on working with nature, building practical skills, and making sustainable choices more accessible.
Introduction When I first started gardening for work, I did not see it as some grand life plan. It was temporary. A side hustle. A practical way to bring money in while I worked out what I was really meant to be doing. The odd
Introduction I tried to avoid using garden netting for vegetable beds for a while. Not because I had anything against it. I just wanted the softer, more natural methods to work first. Like a lot of growers, I liked the idea of sorting pest problems
Introduction Leeks are one of those crops that do not look like much early on, but they properly earn their space later in the year. They sit quietly through spring and summer, bulk up slowly, and then become one of the most useful vegetables in
Introduction Most garden projects do not go wrong because the original idea was bad. More often, it is the practical details that catch people out. In real UK gardens, that usually means something simple has been missed: That is where garden landscaping materials really matter.
Introduction Parsnips are not difficult once they get going, but they can be awkward at the start. If you have ever sown a row, waited patiently, and ended up staring at bare soil for weeks, you are not alone. The main challenge with growing parsnips
Introduction Learning how to store potatoes properly sounds simple enough, until you have a sack of muddy spuds, a damp shed, and no clear plan for what needs eating first. For UK gardeners and allotment growers, potato storage is rarely about having the perfect root
Introduction Spring onions should be one of the easy wins in a veg patch. Sow a few seeds, wait a while, then pull them fresh for salads, stir-fries, omelettes and whatever else needs a bit of sharp green crunch. In good conditions, they really can
Introduction Growing lettuce in the UK sounds almost too easy: scatter some seed, add water, pick salad. And sometimes, it really is that simple. However, lettuce can also catch you out. It can: The best way to grow lettuce is to think in small, steady
Introduction After years of working as a gardener on the Wirral, one lesson keeps coming back to me: Gardening starts to feel simpler when you stop fighting your conditions and build a system that works with them. Most of the time, that means choosing crops
Introduction Growing sweetcorn in the UK is definitely worth doing, but it is one of those crops where the small details make the harvest. You can grow tall, healthy-looking plants and still end up with patchy cobs if the spacing, watering, timing, or pollination is
Introduction July is where the UK harvest calendar changes gear. Earlier in the year, you are often waiting for the first proper pickings. By July, the job is usually keeping up before crops get too big, tough, overripe, or taken by wildlife. For many UK
Introduction Winter squash is one of those crops that makes a garden or allotment feel and look like it’s the real deal. The plants sprawl, the flowers are hard to miss, and if the season goes your way, you end up with colourful squash that