Finally...

Every year I try to grow butternut squash from the seeds of a shop-bought one. And every year I fail. This year I saw a clip on TikTok - simply cut off the base of the squash (which will retain some seeds), add compost and leave until the shoots appear. They did - about 40 in all. We potted them on, planted them out and so far we have had quite a yield, and there are still a few more to pick.