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 The Banded White-Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) is one of the most common and recognizable bumblebee species in the UK and Europe. With its bright yellow bands and striking white tail, it plays a vital role in pollinating wildflowers, fruit trees, and crops. This bumblebee
Introduction: Bee Identification Made Easy If you’ve ever spotted a bee in your garden and thought “what kind of bee is that?” — you’re not alone. With 250+ bee species in the UK, bee identification can feel overwhelming at first, especially when many species share
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
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
Introduction So, what is a flapjack? Your first thought might be of pancakes drenched in syrup. However, in the UK, they are a chewy oat bar—a treat that’s completely different from its American counterpart. With its versatility and rich history, the British flapjack has firmly
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
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 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,
Why do chickens eat their egg shells? Egg shells offer a great source of calcium and other minerals that a chicken needs to create an egg in its body. A Chicken gets this from other things such as grit in the wild or oyster shells
What can I grow in the Autumn and Winter months? As the year comes to a close and the seasons move towards winter you would be forgiven for thinking there isn’t much you can do in the garden, especially an edible one! However, there are