Ambassador Wild Birds Deluxe Seed Feeder, Bird Seed Feeder, Hanging Bird Feeder, Garden Bird Feeder, Wild Bird Feeder, Seed Dispenser

Seeds and bulbs are the starting point for lawns, borders and vegetable plots. This category is mostly lawn seed, from general-purpose and hard-wearing mixes to shade-tolerant, drought-tolerant and patch-repair seed, along with wildflower seed mixes and seed balls, flower bulbs, seed potatoes, seed compost and bulb fibre, and biodegradable seed trays.

Lawn seed

Pick a mix for how the lawn will be used: hard-wearing mixes containing ryegrass and fescues stand up to heavy use; fine-leaved mixes give a dense, ornamental lawn; shade mixes suit lawns under trees. The ideal times to sow are early autumn, which lets seedlings root before hard frosts, and mid-spring. Clear weeds, dig over compacted ground, then firm and rake it to a level, crumbly surface. Sow at the rate given on the pack, half in one direction and half across it, rake in lightly and keep the ground moist until the grass comes through. Keep heavy use off a new lawn while it establishes.

Bulbs and seed potatoes

• Spring-flowering bulbs: plant in autumn, ideally no later than September, apart from tulips, which go in during November. Plant at two to three times the bulb's own height and discard any that are soft or rotting.
• Bulbs in pots: use peat-free multi-purpose compost mixed with some grit, or bulb fibre, and water once after planting, then as needed while they grow.
• Seed potatoes: grow from certified seed potatoes rather than ones bought to eat. Set early varieties to sprout, or chit, in a light, frost-free place first, then plant first earlies around late March, second earlies in April and maincrops from mid-April to early May.

For feeding new lawns and plants, see fertilisers; for sowing and potting, see compost.