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Homemade Wildflower Seed Bombs To Beautify Forgotten Landscapes

Written by Author Tracey Besemer Published on February 1, 2021 - Last Updated on March 9, 2021

Who knew gardening was so exciting?

As outspoken as I am, I’m rather unconfrontational. When it comes to causes I believe in; I’m more of a quiet revolutionist. And that’s why I’m on board with guerilla gardening.

I love the rather romantic notion of someone with a spade in hand and seeds in their pocket tiptoeing around urban spaces under the light of the moon. And romantic imagery aside, the guerilla gardening movement has been happening for over a decade.

A sidewalk garden is filled with healthy vegetable plants growing.
Even veggies are getting in on the action with sidewalk gardens.

Whether it’s the intrepid group at L.A. Green Grounds bringing healthy food to sidewalk gardens or the anonymous gardener of Park Slope in Brooklyn, NY – guerilla gardening is here to stay.

Wild grasses and flowers are growing in an urban setting.
Toss a few bombs and help regreen where you live.

If you want to get in on this quiet revolution, I’ve got an easy DIY tutorial for you today – wildflower seed bombs.

I’ll show you how to mix them up in two different ways.

Close up shot of wildflower bombs made with clay, seeds, and growing media on blue background.
These unassuming little balls of dirt, clay and seeds are ready to revitalize.

These fun little bombs can be tossed from a pocket while you’re out walking the dog, pitched out your car window, or even tucked lovingly into that forgotten cement planter by the bus stop in the middle of the night.

If you spy a spot that could use some cheery flowers, then it’s bombs away.

Be responsible bombers, please.

I’m sure you already know better, but it bears repeating. You shouldn’t bomb private property or protected parks. Stick to civic spaces that have long since been neglected or local public areas that could use a bit of rewilding. And check local ordinances before bombing around your town.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the bail money to get you out if you misbehave. So be good guerilla gardeners. Remember, this is supposed to be a positive thing.

Making Your Own Wildflower Seed Bombs

All it takes is three ingredients and some good ol’ fashioned getting your hands dirty to make wildflower bombs. Which, you know, most of our Rural Sprout readers are okay with anyway. Let’s talk about what we’re putting in our bombs, and then we’ll move on to the making.

A pile of potting soil with a jar of water, a smaller jar of seeds, a tub of red clay powder and terracotta modeling clay surrounding it.
Making wildflower bombs is simple with three easy to find ingredients.

Choosing Seeds

Aside from your target, this is the part that requires the most thought. Your first choice for flowers should always be native species. This way, you’re not adding invasive species to an area, and you’ll help out your local pollinators.

As always, if you need to know something about growing things where you live, my first suggestion is to reach out to your local cooperative extension office. These folks are excellent resources for native plants and gardening. They may even have some great suggestions on where your wildflower bombs could be put to good use.

Muddy hands holding wildflower bombs in front of a field of wildflowers.
Be a responsible bomber and choose your seeds wisely.

If you’re looking for native species, it’s easier to purchase individual seed varieties and mix them together rather than purchasing a wildflower mix.

There is plenty of commercial ‘Wildflower’ seed mixes out there, but just because they say wildflower doesn’t mean they are wild where you live. If you’re going to use a wildflower mix, don’t choose your seeds based on the pictures on the packet. It’s important to take the time to read what varieties of plants it contains.

Seeds for Urban Wildflower Bombing

If you live in the city, as in a true city where green spaces are limited to a highly curated park, then most of the area hasn’t seen a native species or wildflower in decades. This is a good place to use those wildflower mixes, especially ones that attract birds and bees. Some green is better than no green in a land of skyscrapers and concrete.

(Again, we aren’t going to throw them in the highly curated parks, though, are we?)

Clay

Most tutorials for seed bombs simply state clay, some go so far as to say clay powder, but beyond that, you’re left wondering what kind of clay. It seems there’s a lot of variation on what you can use for wildflower bombs when it comes to clay.

Here’s a list of a few options:

If you use either of the last two, you can give yourself a face mask while you’re making wildflower bombs. If you want to get really crazy, smash some seeds in your face mask and lay in the sun.

Or not. Yeah, better not; you’ll scare the neighbors.

The pottery clay and modeling clays are both easier to find locally but require a little more elbow grease when making your bombs. The powdered clay is a little tougher to find without ordering online, but it’s much easier to mix.

I’ll show you how to work with both in the tutorial.

Compost or Potting Soil

You need some sort of substrate to get your tiny seeds off on the right foot. You can use either compost or potting soil. Just be sure whatever you choose, it’s fine-grained; you don’t want a lot of larger substrate in the finished media.

I’m always a big fan of using what you have on hand, rather than making a special purchase. This activity is great for using up those bags of potting media with only a cup or two left in them. Dump in what’s left from that African Violet mix, add the rest of that bag of mushroom compost, and top it off with whatever’s left in the bag of moisture control potting soil that’s now dry as a dessert.

If you go this route, you may need to pull out the odd twig or bit of larger potting media as you mix your wildflower bombs up.

Voila – now you have more room in the gardening shed and a mix of nutrient-rich soil for your wildflower bombs.

Tools

You’ll need a few tools to make these wildflower bombs

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Baking sheet
  • Water
  • In addition to the above items, you’ll also need a chopstick or wooden spoon for the clay powder bombs.

Okay, now that you’ve gathered everything you need, let’s make some wildflower bombs.

Wildflower Seed Bombs Using Wet or Modeling Clay

Hands pinching off a bit of terracotta modeling clay.
And here’s where things get messy.
  • Pinch off a wad of clay slightly larger than a golf ball; anything bigger than that will be hard to handle.
  • Smash the clay flat to ¼” thick.
Flattened modeling clay is sprinkled with potting soil and seeds to make wildflower bombs.
It’s like a dirt pizza.
  • Now spread about two tablespoons of your growing media and ½ teaspoon of seeds onto your little clay pizza.
  • Sprinkle on a few drops of water. You don’t want a lot; otherwise, it will become a soppy mess. You can always add more.
  • Roll up the mess and begin working it together, incorporating the soil and seeds into the clay.
Hands working a piece of modeling clay.
If you’ve had a stressful week, I highly recommend using the modeling clay method to make your wildflower bombs.
  • Keep adding more soil and working it into the clay until the clay loses the damp, sticky feel and starts to feel mostly dry.
A lump of clay with potting soil and seeds worked into it.
Work as much growing media into the clay as you can.
  • Then pinch off golf ball-sized pieces of the mixture and roll it into spheres. Firmly press them into the growing media again to push more of it into the clay.
A finished wildflower bomb lays next to the lump of clay it was made from. There is a small jar of seeds and a jar of water near.
Nearly finished.
  • Let the wildflower bombs dry for 24 hours, and then get gardening.

Wildflower Seed Bombs Using Clay Powder

A pile of seeds, a pile of red clay, and a pile of potting mix.
1:4:5
  • Since we’ll be reconstituting the clay powder by adding water, we’ll be using a ratio for the basis of our mix – 1 part seeds – 4 parts clay powder – 5 parts soil.
A hand is pouring water from a mason jar into a bowl of clay and potting mix.
Easy does it, you don’t want to over do it.
  • Mix the above in a bowl and slowly stir in a few splashes of water at a time. You want a slightly sticky, but not sopping wet, ‘dough.’
A bowl of wildflower bomb mix ready to be rolled into balls.
Perfectly mixed wildflower bomb dough.
  • If you overshoot your water, add more soil, stirring it in until you achieve the desired consistency. If you’ve ever made bread or pizza dough, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
  • Now you simply roll into golf ball-sized bombs.
A woman's hands are rolling wildflower bomb dough into a bowl.
Use your amazing cookie dough-rolling skills here.
  • Dip them back into the soil or potting media to coat with them. A bit like dipping balls of cookie dough in powdered sugar. (Only, please don’t eat these, I guarantee they’ll be the worst cookies you’ve ever eaten.)
A baking tray with finished wildflower bombs set to dry.
I can’t wait to lob these out of my car window.
  • After they’ve received their final coating of compost or potting soil, place them on a baking sheet to dry for 24 hours.

And that’s it, pretty simple, right? If it isn’t obvious, this is a fantastic activity to get the kids in on, from making the bombs to the actual bombing. Every part of the process appeals to kids, from getting dirty to doing something sneaky.

Don’t Fancy A DIY?

Maybe you don’t want to get your hands dirty, or perhaps you can’t get your hands on all of the ingredients you need.

Don’t fear, we have you covered. You can purchase this pack of 50 US native wildflower seed bombs from Seed-Balls on Amazon.

When to Garden

It’s best to get out there and start slinging your wildflower bombs in the spring and fall. Check your local weather and try to get them out just ahead of some rain.

Poppies growing up out a crack in the sidewalk.
You’d be amazed at how persistent nature is when given the chance to grow.

Now that you’re armed with your cheerful, brown ammo, where will you strike first? What forgotten corner of the world will be brightened by your wildflower bombs?

How To Turn Your Lawn Into A Wildflower Meadow

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Tracey Besemer

Hey there, my name is Tracey. I’m the editor-in-chief here at Rural Sprout.

Many of our readers already know me from our popular Sunday newsletters. (You are signed up for our newsletters, right?) Each Sunday, I send a friendly missive from my neck of the woods in Pennsylvania. It’s a bit like sitting on the front porch with a friend, discussing our gardens over a cup of tea.

Originally from upstate NY, I’m now an honorary Pennsylvanian, having lived here for the past 18 years.

I grew up spending weekends on my dad’s off-the-grid homestead, where I spent much of my childhood roaming the woods and getting my hands dirty.

I learned how to do things most little kids haven’t done in over a century.

Whether it was pressing apples in the fall for homemade cider, trudging through the early spring snows of upstate NY to tap trees for maple syrup, or canning everything that grew in the garden in the summer - there were always new adventures with each season.

As an adult, I continue to draw on the skills I learned as a kid. I love my Wi-Fi and knowing pizza is only a phone call away. And I’m okay with never revisiting the adventure that is using an outhouse in the middle of January.

These days, I tend to be almost a homesteader.

I take an eclectic approach to homesteading, utilizing modern convenience where I want and choosing the rustic ways of my childhood as they suit me.

I’m a firm believer in self-sufficiency, no matter where you live, and the power and pride that comes from doing something for yourself.

I’ve always had a garden, even when the only space available was the roof of my apartment building. I’ve been knitting since age seven, and I spin and dye my own wool as well. If you can ferment it, it’s probably in my pantry or on my kitchen counter. And I can’t go more than a few days without a trip into the woods looking for mushrooms, edible plants, or the sound of the wind in the trees.

You can follow my personal (crazy) homesteading adventures on Almost a Homesteader and Instagram as @aahomesteader.

Peace, love, and dirt under your nails,

Tracey
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