It's no secret that spring fever has kicked in and everyone has the itch to get out and start planting. In honor of Arbor Day and Earth Month, here is a little springtime activity for the young and young-at-heart!

Seed Bombs are quite literally little, handheld bombs of seeds, whose purpose is to help germinate plant life in unkempt or unattractive areas. A form of Guerrilla Gardening, seed bombing can bring life to areas where no plants or flowers may be growing. Of course, it is important to select seeds that are non-invasive species and are not considered weeds. Wildflowers and grasses are the easiest types of seeds to procure and they have the highest success rate of germination from seed bombs. My personal favorite mix grows wildflowers that attract bees and pollinators. Chinese Forget-Me-Not, Purple Coneflower, Siberian Wallflower, Orange California Poppy, and Chica Asters are the types of flower seeds contained within these mixes.

In addition to seeds, you'll need a few other ingredients to keep your bombs together. A combination of clay, organic compost, and water is all you'll need to build a small arsenal of potential beauty. There are a number of different kinds of clays you can use for this project. Crafter's clay is the most popular, but I have found the easiest and most inexpensive route is to use plain, unscented, clay kitty litter. Compost should be peat-free and completely organic, meaning no filler materials such as pet waste, dryer lint, drywall, or grease to name a few.

Once all of the ingredients are gathered, combine one part compost to five parts clay in a large bowl. Add a small amount of water at a time to make the mixture malleable. It should be about the consistency of silly putty.

Next, in small amounts, roll the mixture into balls like you would with cookie dough. Save a little bit of mixture out for the last step. Once the desired amount of seed bombs has been reached, poke a small dimple into each bomb. Put the seeds into the indent of each bomb. A small pinch of seeds per ball is plenty. Use a little bit of the leftover material to close up the bomb.

Now that your seed bombs are formed, place them on a cookie sheet, or another flat surface, and allow the bombs to dry for a few days. When you are feeling adventurous, start scattering your arsenal!

A combination of spring dew and rain will moisten the mixture and encourage the seeds to germinate. As the little sprouts begin to grow, they will break free of their bomb-barrier and take root in their new home. Pollinators of all types will find these flowers over the summer and spread the love.

Happy bombing!

Derek

Owner, Floral Underground