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: Discover the Power of Garden Obelisks As a professional gardener, I’ve learned how to use garden obelisks to transform countless gardens into beautiful spaces. My journey with garden obelisks began in a sprawling English garden. I was tasked with rejuvenating a neglected flower bed.
Most low-cost garden incinerators share the same lightweight galvanised-bin design, while larger drums and heavier steel models offer clearer differences in capacity, portability and durability. They are only suitable for limited amounts of dry, untreated material, so read our guide to dealing with difficult garden
Timing is everything when deciding the best time to rotavate your garden.. If you start too early, you risk disrupting the soil structure. But if you wait too long, your plants may struggle to establish. So, how do you strike the perfect balance? The ideal
Introduction Why Grow Peas? Growing peas is one of the most rewarding experiences for gardeners, whether you’re a beginner or have a few seasons under your belt. Not only are peas easy to cultivate, but they also offer a fresh, homegrown taste that store-bought varieties
Ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria) is a fast-spreading perennial weed that can quickly move through borders, beds and neglected areas. Its main strength is an extensive network of underground rhizomes, which can regrow from small fragments left in the soil. Getting rid of ground elder usually
In this article, we will look into hydrangea plant care and pruning. You can find Hydrangeas in the UK in many gardens, and it is easy to see why. The hydrangea plant produces huge and beautiful flowers throughout most of the year. British gardens will
Introduction: When to Prune Roses in the UK Want your rose bushes to bloom big and healthy each summer? It all starts with good timing. In the UK, the best time to prune most roses is late winter, from January to early March, just before
There is lots of talk around whether you cut wet grass and the simple answer is yes – However, there are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to cutting grass when wet. We will go through them in this article, by the end you
Introduction to Growing your own Chillies Learning how to grow chillies from seed indoors is easier than you might think—and it’s one of the best small-space gardening projects for UK homes. Whether you’re using a sunny windowsill or a simple LED grow light, you can
Bug hotels provide nesting and sheltering spaces for solitary bees, beetles, ladybirds and other beneficial garden insects. They can be built from simple materials such as untreated wood, hollow stems, bark, dry leaves and old bricks, many of which you may already have in the
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