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: Why Make a Bug Hotel? If you’re looking for a simple, rewarding way to support local wildlife, learning how to make a bug hotel is a great place to start. A bug hotel—also known as an insect hotel—is a handmade shelter designed to help
Introduction Banana peel fertiliser has become a go-to method for gardeners looking to reuse kitchen scraps and boost plant growth naturally. While banana peels were once tossed straight into compost bins, they’re now gaining attention as a stand-alone, DIY fertiliser. Often referred to as “banana
Is Dandelion Tea Good for You? Benefits, Side Effects & How to Brew It Dandelion tea — whether made from the root, leaves, or flowers — has been a staple in traditional herbal medicine for centuries. Today, it’s still enjoyed as a comforting, caffeine-free herbal
The term’ cash crops’ is used for plants we make money from, and you can grow several cash crops at home. What you grow will depend on what space you have available more than anything else. After all, you can’t grow a field of wheat
What this article will cover: How to make a small batch of jam in 30 minuites Ingredients: What you will need: Pair your delicious homemade jam with the perfect flapjacks—learn how in our guide on How to Make the Best Flapjacks. Directions Where can I
How to grow a Herb Garden for beginners This article will teach you what you need to set up a herb garden – a simple, easy and rewarding way to get into growing your food. We will look at what a herb garden is, the
Have you wanted to get stuck into foodscaping but you’re not sure how? Well the Backyard Farm is a great place to start. This blog was built from my experience of getting started with foodscaping with very little knowledge to begin with. Some ways to
Introduction Drying fruit in an oven (often called oven dehydrating fruit) is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to preserve seasonal produce. If you want to learn Drying fruit in the oven is one of the easiest ways to preserve seasonal produce at
THE easiest way to peel tomatoes right here. ‘How to peel tomatoes in 3 easy steps’ is the definitive guide to getting those pesky skins off your tomato. Other ways to peel tomatoes, we’ve got that covered to
Introduction: What Perennial Vegetables Should I Grow in the UK? Looking to grow more food without doubling your effort? Perennial vegetables are one of the best ways to build a low-maintenance, self-sufficient garden. Unlike annuals—which need sowing every year—these hardy plants come back year after
Introduction If you’re looking for an easy and rewarding crop to grow, kale is a brilliant choice. This nutrient-rich leafy green is cold-hardy, beginner-friendly, and thrives in UK gardens—even with minimal space or experience. Whether you’re planting directly in the ground, growing kale in containers,
Can I remove weeds without chemicals? Yes you can! Not only is it more ecologically friendly for your foodscaped garden, it’s cheap and easy too! We will run through how to kill the weeds in your garden by using only hot water, salt, vinegar and