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 If you’ve landed here because the BBC Virtual Garden Planner is no longer working, you’re not alone — and you’re definitely not doing anything wrong. For years, the BBC Virtual Garden Planner was a familiar starting point for UK gardeners looking for a simple
Introduction Gardening in the UK rarely follows a perfect timetable. The weather can turn quickly, soil often warms more slowly than the calendar suggests, and advice that worked one year may need adjusting the next. Because of this, knowing exactly what to plant on a
Why Small Allotments Can Be Surprisingly Productive If you’ve taken on a small allotment — or you’re working with a compact garden space — it’s completely normal to wonder whether you’ve got enough room to grow anything meaningful. But honestly? Small plots can be incredibly
Introduction Square foot gardening is one of the simplest and most reliable ways to grow vegetables in the UK, and it’s fast becoming a favourite method for anyone searching for square foot gardening UK guidance or beginner‑friendly veg plot plans. Instead of battling long, traditional
Introduction Planning your first allotment can feel like a big leap, especially when you’re trying to visualise your future allotment layout on a bare patch of earth. With so many choices — beds, crops, tools, and endless allotment ideas — it’s no surprise most beginners
Introduction Planning Ahead for the New Season As another growing season approaches, the first question many UK gardeners ask is: Where’s the best place to buy vegetable seeds in the UK? With so many online seed suppliers offering everything from heritage varieties to organic vegetable
Finding the Perfect Gift for Gardeners Finding the right Christmas gift for a gardener isn’t always straightforward. Whether they love pottering in the greenhouse, pruning roses, or tending to veg beds, most gardeners are practical people who appreciate quality gardening tools that genuinely make a
Introduction Creating a wildlife friendly low maintenance garden UK doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. With a few smart choices in low maintenance garden design, you can enjoy a space that largely looks after itself while providing bees, butterflies, birds, and hedgehogs with food
Introduction Every gardener and forager knows the feeling when everything ripens at once. Bowls of tomatoes, baskets of apples, and piles of courgettes are a gift of abundance — yet without a plan, they quickly turn into waste. With energy costs climbing, finding simple, low
Why Collect Rainwater? (Cost Savings + Sustainability) If you garden in the UK, chances are you’ve looked at your water bill after a dry spell and wondered if there’s a smarter option. Rainwater harvesting UK offers exactly that—a simple, eco‑friendly way to collect rainwater and
Welcome to the Free Allotment Planner Planning an allotment properly can save time, prevent overcrowding, and dramatically improve your yields. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to design your layout step-by-step using our free interactive allotment planner, built specifically for UK growing conditions. The
Introduction Spring is the busiest season for UK growers—and for good reason. After months of short days and soggy weather, the soil finally warms, the light levels increase, and the vegetable planting calendar UK suddenly feels wide open. Whether you’re tending a full allotment or