For an explosion of flowers in a neglected patch of land, seed bombs are a fun way of
guerrilla gardening.
You will need:
Seeds (1 part)
Peat-free compost (5 parts)
Powdered red clay (available online and at most craft shops) 2–3 parts
Mixing bowl Plates
1 How many bombs you make will depend on how many seeds you have. It’s easiest to do this recipe using cups (actual cups, rather than US measurements) – for one cup of seeds, you’ll need 5 cups of compost and 2–3 cups of powdered clay.
2 Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and mix, then gradually add cold water until it begins to bind together – you don’t want it too wet.
3 Roll the mixture into meatball-sized balls (making sure each ball has plenty of seeds in it). Place the balls on a plate to dry out in the sun.
4 Once dried, throw them on to soil and cross your fingers for flowers. They make great gifts, especially if you put a few in a hessian bag.
Maker’s note: You can make these using air-drying clay, too. Simply take a large lump of clay and flatten it into a circle, sprinkle over compost and seeds then squish it all together so the seeds are evenly distributed. Pull off lumps of the mix and roll into balls, or roll it out and cut shapes using cookie cutters before allowing to air dry.
This project was taken from our feature Gather, Grow and Gift in our October issue, a collection of ideas for makes involving seeds, including seed papers and seed packets as well as these seed bombs.
Buy this month's The Simple Things - buy, download or subscribe
