Now that the garden centres are opening again, you may be able to buy some wild flower seeds and use them for some Guerrilla gardening (see below). There’s nothing more joyful than coming upon some wild and resilient weeds and plants in unexpected places. Seeing a poppy growing from a crack in the pavement or wild flowers and grasses in a drain pipe feels very hopeful. This weekend, why not make some wild flower seed bombs and spread some wild nature’s beauty in unlikely places for others to discover and enjoy?
Out and About – Guerrilla Gardening Seed Bombs
Why not make some seed bombs today to use when you are out and about to make some positive changes to your outdoor spaces. Traditionally seed bombs were used for stealth gardening in urban environments!
Equipment
A container to standardise measuring such as plastic cup
1 cup of native wildflower seed purchased or harvested from your own supply
2 cups of top soil or compost
5 cups of pottery clay
1-2 cups of water
A large tub to mix ingredients
Empty egg boxes to hold finished seed bombs
To Make Seed Bombs
1. Mix the soil, the clay and 1 part water in a tub until it is a dough-like consistency.
2. Add further water if required.
3. Add the seeds and keep mixing until they are well distributed.
4. Take a palm-sized lump of the mixture and roll it into a ball.
5. Place the finished ball into an egg box or similar to dry out for 1-2 days.
6. They can be stored for later use in a cardboard container.
The completed seed bombs are best sown in early spring or early autumn to coincide with an upcoming heavy rainfall. The clay helps to protect the seeds from intense heat, waterlogging or hungry birds.
To sow, gently throw them into a patch of bare earth in a sunny spot.
In the garden – Bug Hunting
Shake a branch of a bush or a tree into a white pillowcase. Look inside or tip onto a light coloured tray to and find out what creatures live on that branch.
Can you identify and draw any of them?
Use a nature book to try to identify them or download an insect ID sheet online from sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/learning- resources
Staying at home – Dandelion Jam
You will need an adult to help you with this.
If you want to make Dandelion Jam your first job is to collect some Dandelions and snip off the petals with scissors. You need around two cups of petals. The green stalk is bitter and should be discarded.
Once the petals are prepared they should be covered with two cups of boiling water. This mixture needs to be left until cold and then the petals can be strained out.
You then put this in a sauce pan and add four cups of sugar, the juice of a lemon and a sachet of pectin. This should be heated gently until the sugar has dissolved and then brought to the boil.
The mixture should be boiled for 15-20 minutes and then put into sterilised jars.
You might need to tweak the method depending on the type of pectin you have, but there should be instructions on the box. Pectin can be bought easily in supermarkets and is usually found near the sugar.
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