Backyard Bazaars

Backyard Dandelion Petal Golden Mead Wild Ferment Starter Producer

Harvest fresh yellow dandelion petals from garden lawns, steep them in spring water to extract wild yeasts, and bottle starters for mead makers.

Startup Cost: £15 Location: Hybrid Difficulty: Easy Useful side income A few hours a week

Earning and time figures are our broad estimates, not guarantees — actual results depend on your area, your effort and demand.

Why it's left-field

Home mead makers buy jars of natural wild yeast liquid extracted from garden dandelion petals to ferment honey wines naturally.

How it works

  1. 1Harvest fresh unwashed dandelion petals from garden lawns on dry spring mornings.
  2. 2Steep flower petals in spring water with raw honey to cultivate active natural wild yeasts.
  3. 3Bottle pasteurised wild yeast starter liquid and list on home brewing marketplaces.

Official platforms

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps fund the sanctuary, and we only recommend platforms we'd use ourselves.

Get the Selling Food You've Grown or Made kit (£5)

Explore similar

Backyard Bazaars

Bundles of home-dried mint, rosemary, thyme and lavender — grown in a bed or pots — sell as kitchen and craft staples at markets and online.

Startup cost: Startup Cost: £10-£20Location: Location: Home/MarketsDifficulty: Difficulty: EasyEarning potential: Useful side incomeTime needed: A few hours a week

Why it's left-field

Supermarket herbs cost pennies but arrive damp and wilted; a beautiful dried bundle from a real garden looks generous and sells at craft-fair prices.

Backyard Bazaars

Old wooden drawers become charming herb and salad planters — salvaged free from skips and refits, then sold filled with plants at markets.

Startup cost: Startup Cost: £10-£20Location: Location: Home/MarketsDifficulty: Difficulty: EasyEarning potential: Useful side incomeTime needed: A few hours a week

Why it's left-field

The materials cost nothing and the finished piece looks deliberately rustic, which is precisely what garden buyers pay extra for.

Backyard Bazaars

Hand-painted stones with a pet's name and dates — made from free or cheap stone — sell steadily to grieving owners who want something personal.

Startup cost: Startup Cost: £10-£20Location: Location: Remote/HomeDifficulty: Difficulty: EasyEarning potential: Useful side incomeTime needed: A few hours a week

Why it's left-field

Grief doesn't check price lists, and a painted stone made to order feels irreplaceable in a way mass-produced plaques never do.