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.
Broccoli is a productive UK crop that grows best in fertile soil with steady moisture and plenty of room. This guide covers the large green-headed broccoli commonly grown in the UK, technically known as calabrese. Growing purple sprouting broccoli instead? Use the dedicated How to
Dwarf French beans are one of the easiest beans to grow in the UK once the weather has warmed up properly. They are compact, productive, and much easier to fit into pots, raised beds, and small allotment spaces than climbing beans. In the UK, dwarf
Runner beans are one of those crops that make you feel like you have got the hang of gardening when they take off. In a decent UK summer, they climb hard, fill out fast and keep cropping if you pick regularly. They are not quite
Peas are a straightforward crop to grow at home. Sow them at the right time, give them something to climb, and keep them watered while they flower and produce pods. Garden peas, mangetout and sugar snaps all grow in broadly the same way. Which Type
Leeks are slow-growing, but they earn their place when the garden begins to empty later in the year. A well-grown row can provide reliable harvests for soups, stews, pies and roasts through autumn and winter. They are not difficult to grow in the UK, but
Parsnips are a slow-growing root crop, but they are well suited to the UK growing season and can be harvested through autumn and winter. The main challenge is getting them established: seed can be slow to germinate, so fresh seed, well-prepared soil and steady moisture
Spring onions are one of the easiest crops to fit into a UK garden or allotment. They grow quickly, take up very little space and work well in raised beds, containers or gaps between slower-growing crops. The main difficulty is getting them started well. Cold,
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 batches.
Yes, winter squash can grow very well in the UK. The main challenge is giving plants enough warmth and growing time to produce mature fruit before autumn frost arrives. For the most reliable results, sow seeds indoors in spring, grow them on in good light
If you’re wondering how to grow pumpkins in the UK, the good news is they’re very achievable in most gardens as long as you give them warmth, space and consistent care. Pumpkins thrive in full sun, rich soil and steady moisture, but they are more
Growing cucumbers in the UK is completely doable, but they can sulk if the early stages go wrong. They need warmth, steady moisture, fertile soil or rich compost, and a variety suited to the growing space. Sow too early, leave them sitting cold and wet,
Broad beans are one of the earliest productive crops of the year and are well suited to UK gardens, raised beds and allotments. They’re hardy and reliable, with the option to sow in autumn for an earlier crop or in spring for a safer start.