Bring blooms to life in the most unlikely corners of your neighbourhood. Seed bombs are often used by ‘guerrilla gardeners’ to beautify unloved patches of public land says Delfina Aguilar
The Guerilla Gardening movement – and seed bombs themselves – began in New York in the 1970s, when the city was in the grip of a financial crisis and public spaces, especially parks, were woefully neglected. Founded by Liz Christy, the Green Guerrillas decided to take matters into their own hands, using their own time and resources to turn abandoned building sites into flourishing meadows of wildflowers and greenery. They’d lob the seed bombs they made over fences into disused lots to give locals something beautiful to look at instead of rubble, an act of urban activism that you’re continuing today.
Ingredients
Flower seeds (more varieties means more forage for bees. Choose seeds that are suitable for your local climate); Peat-free compost or potting mix; Clay; Cup of water; Large bowl; Baking tray
Method
- Cover a table with a cloth or newspaper and collect all of your materials together.
- In your bowl, combine about five handfuls of compost with a handful of seeds and mix together.
- With wet hands, break off about five handfuls of clay, and then tear into smaller, walnut-sized pieces. Place on the baking tray for now.
- Dribble a small amount of water into your compost mix, until it’s just damp (not soaked). Use your hands to roughly mix, then add your pieces of clay and knead, squeeze and squish quickly until it’s well combined.
- Take a handful of the mix and form ping-pong-ball-sized pieces.
- Place on the baking tray, and leave somewhere warm to dry for at least 3 hours.
- Take them to the streets! The perfect time to scatter your seed bombs is right before it rains, so that the seeds get plenty of water to help them get started. Think about where they can go: neglected garden beds at your home or school, vacant lots or the bases of neighbourhood trees are all good places to start.
Delfina is passionate about encouraging kids away from screens, getting them to slow their pace enough to really observe, to examine, contemplate and wonder.
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READ The Nature of Play by Delfina Aguilar
