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 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 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
Introduction This week the allotment started to feel less like a clearing job and more like an actual growing space. I managed to get up there twice, with two decent sessions, and the difference already feels huge. There is still plenty to do, but the
Introduction June is when the UK harvest calendar starts to feel properly useful again. You may be picking lettuce, rocket, radishes, spring onions, spinach, chard, broad beans, peas, mangetout, first early potatoes, strawberries, gooseberries, rhubarb and fresh herbs. If you grow under cover, you might
Introduction Learning how to grow pumpkins in the UK is mostly about getting the timing, warmth and space right. Pumpkins are not hard in the fussy, delicate sense. However, they are hungry, sprawling plants, and they do not really forgive cold soil, cramped beds or
Introduction Summer can be productive in a UK vegetable garden, but it is also when crops can go off track quickly. In hot, dry weather, you might notice: If crops suddenly start rushing to seed in June, July or August, you are probably dealing with
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,