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If you want a spring-flowering display to go on as long as possible, plant separate layers of different varieties of bulbs in one pot. All you need to create a display which flowers in succession is a large pot and a variety of bulbs

-flowered varieties, which are available in a wonderful range of colours. Cyclamen seed10cm potSeeds & cuttings compostVermiculite Sheet of glassBlack polytheneJuly - August15 minutesJanuary - MarchBefore sowing, soak the cyclamen seeds in warm water for at least 12

Sarah Raven demonstrates the most effective method for picking tulips from the garden to ensure the best display indoors, without inhibiting next year's growth.MayMore advice on growing tulipsTreating tulip virusLayering bulbs in a pot

30 minutesCarefully remove the tiny bulbils growing from the leaf axils of the plant.Treat the bulbils as if they were large seeds. Plant several in a pot of multi-purpose compost, spacing them 2.5cm apart.Cover with a layer of compost and water using

You can never have enough lettuce in summer, but sowing directly into the soil takes up valuable space in the garden. Keep a regular supply growing by sowing seeds in lengths of plastic guttering: short, 1m lengths are convenient and easy to handle

March - September10 minutes to sowharvest April - NovemberUse a line to mark out the row. Sowing in a straight line allows you to identify where your rocket seedlings are and which are the weed seedlings to pick off. You'll find a row 1m - 2m long is enough to get

Tomatoes are easy to grow from seed and should germinate within two weeks. Compact cherry varieties can be grown in pots and hanging baskets, while larger, cordon types are more suited to being raised in the ground or in growing bags. Tomato seedsSeed

Alliums are spectacular plants and it's worth saving a few seeds to sow in the spring to grow some more for the garden. The seeds will germinate quickly and reach flowering size in a couple of years.SecateursPaper envelopesSeptember - October20

Agapanthus are easy to grow from seed and you may get flowering plants in as little as two years.Collect seed when the seedhead is becoming brown and the capsules are starting to burst. If the weather is turning cold you can collect seed prematurely

Follow Monty Don's video advice for sowing sunflower seeds in a fine tilth, for a summer display.summerMore flowers to grow from seedBluebellsExoticsCyclamenDahlias