Conscientious gardeners who sow only what they need will often be left wondering what to do with leftover seeds. Seed packets containing vegetable seeds, fruit seeds, and flower seeds often contain far more seeds than are necessary for a single year.

Few things lift everyday cooking quite like fresh herbs. A handful of basil torn over pasta, rosemary crackled onto roast potatoes, or parsley snipped straight into a salad can transform a meal in seconds. Yet many of us share the same frustrating experience: a lush supermarket basil plant that looks perfect on Monday and is completely dead by Friday.

Onions are one of the most versatile vegetables and are quite easy to grow. Many people grow bulbing onions from sets, although seed is a good and straightforward starting point; shallots are usually grown from sets although hybid seed is now available.