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 Growing aubergines in the UK sounds simple enough — sow, plant, harvest — but in reality, they’re one of those crops that can quietly fail on you. You end up with healthy plants, plenty of leaves… and no fruit. That usually comes down to
Intro Growing asparagus in the UK looks straightforward — until you actually try it. This is where a lot of gardeners slip up early on. It’s a perennial vegetable, so once it’s established, it can crop for 10–20 years. However, that also means early mistakes
Introduction Growing ash gourd in the UK isn’t something you see on most allotments — and there’s a reason for that. It’s a tropical vine that thrives on heat, long seasons, and steady warmth… three things we don’t always get here. So the obvious question
Introduction If you’ve looked into crop rotation on an allotment before, you’ve probably seen the diagrams, charts, and strict 3–4 year plans. On paper, they look great. In reality, on a damp UK plot in mid-season, they can feel a bit… optimistic. Most guides overcomplicate
Introduction Growing apple trees in the UK sounds simple — and to be fair, it can be — but most issues don’t come from the tree itself. They come from how it’s set up in the first place. Choosing the wrong rootstock, planting it in
Introduction If you’ve grown garlic before, you’ll know this is the point where it either comes together nicely—or goes slightly sideways. Harvest too early and the bulbs stay a bit small. Leave it too long and they start splitting, skins break down, and they won’t
Introduction If you want better results from your garlic, timing does matter—just not in the neat, textbook way most guides make it sound. In the UK, the usual window to plant garlic is October to November. That gives cloves time to root before winter sets
Introduction Getting the timing right is the difference between plants that crack on… and ones that just sit there doing nothing — or get eaten overnight. In the UK, when to plant courgettes isn’t really about a date on the calendar. It’s more about warm
Introduction Courgettes are one of those crops that go from “not quite ready” to “way too big” almost overnight. One day you’re checking a few small fruits; the next, there’s something closer to a marrow hiding under the leaves. It happens fast—and if you’ve grown
Introduction Growing tomatoes in the UK isn’t as simple as waiting for them to turn red and picking them. Some years it works like that — but more often, the weather gets involved. You get cool nights, random heavy rain, and those stop-start summers where
Introduction Growing courgettes in the UK is one of the quickest ways to get a decent harvest without loads of space. That said, it’s also one of those crops people think they’ve nailed—right up until something quietly knocks the yield back. On paper, growing courgettes
Introduction Most gardens don’t fail because of what you plant — they fail because of how they’re laid out. If you’ve ever stood in your garden and thought, something’s not quite right here, you’re not alone. I see it all the time — decent plants,