Backyard Bazaars

Urban Microgreen Countertop Cultivation

Grow fast-yielding, high-nutrient microgreens in small indoor trays to sell directly to local chefs.

Startup Cost: £30 Location: Home/Local 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

You run a high-turnover agricultural farm inside a spare room or kitchen counter using simple grow lights.

How it works

  1. 1Plant seeds like radish, broccoli, or pea shoots in shallow soil trays.
  2. 2They mature in just 7 to 10 days. Snip them fresh and package them into small containers for high-end local restaurants and salad bars.

Official platforms

  • Network directly with independent local cafes, bistros, and health food stores.
  • Fiverr

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

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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.