Growbar The Bird Growbar

A lovely way to bring more wildlife into the garden, this Growbar contains seeds for three bird-friendly flowers: Sunflower Sun Gold, which produces generous heads full of seeds; Echinops, a perennial with striking spherical blooms that birds find hard to resist; and Cornflower, a cottage garden annual that has long been a staple of British gardens.

To get started, remove the plastic wrapping and place the bar, paper-side up, in a container with room to expand. Add half a litre of water and set on a warm, bright windowsill between March and June. Once seedlings have four to eight leaves, separate carefully and plant out in a sunny spot. Leave dead flower heads standing through winter — the seeds provide a valuable food source for birds during the colder months.