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.
I tried to avoid using garden netting for vegetable beds for a while. Not because I had anything against it. I just wanted the softer, more natural methods to work first. Like a lot of growers, I liked the idea of sorting pest problems with
Leeks are slow-growing, but they earn their place when the garden begins to empty later in the year. A well-grown row can provide reliable harvests for soups, stews, pies and roasts through autumn and winter. They are not difficult to grow in the UK, but
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.
Parsnips are a slow-growing root crop, but they are well suited to the UK growing season and can be harvested through autumn and winter. The main challenge is getting them established: seed can be slow to germinate, so fresh seed, well-prepared soil and steady moisture
Potatoes store best somewhere cool, dark, dry, frost-free and well ventilated. For home-grown potatoes, let them dry for a few hours after lifting, brush off loose soil rather than washing them, and remove any damaged or rotten tubers. Store the sound potatoes in paper or
Spring onions are one of the easiest crops to fit into a UK garden or allotment. They grow quickly, take up very little space and work well in raised beds, containers or gaps between slower-growing crops. The main difficulty is getting them started well. Cold,
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 batches.
Introduction After years of working as a gardener on the Wirral, one lesson keeps coming back to me: Gardening starts to feel simpler when you stop fighting your conditions and build a system that works with them. Most of the time, that means choosing crops
Growing sweetcorn in the UK is definitely worth doing, but it is one of those crops where the small details make the harvest. You can grow tall, healthy-looking plants and still end up with patchy cobs if the spacing, watering, timing, or pollination is off.
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
Yes, winter squash can grow very well in the UK. The main challenge is giving plants enough warmth and growing time to produce mature fruit before autumn frost arrives. For the most reliable results, sow seeds indoors in spring, grow them on in good light
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