seed bombs
Posted on 02. Jul, 2010 by molly in op-ed
words > CRAIG AINSWORTH
There are rebels around the globe uniting in order to change the world that they live in. These rebels do not drive tanks or carry guns; these rebels stand side-by-side carrying shovels and seeds. Essentially, Guerrilla gardening is reclaiming unused land for plants that are beautiful and beneficial for the population and environment they are grown in.
By looking around our neighborhoods we can find many places to start a Guerrilla Garden. Guerrilla Gardeners look for unused pieces of land: bare places next to the road that are filled with compressed dirt and weeds, old unused planters, or neglected flowerbeds. Many of these neglected spaces can be cultivated and turned into beautiful and productive pieces of land for the entire community.
“Seed Bombs” are one of the many weapons used by Guerrilla Gardeners. Seed Bombs are a careful mixture of mud and seed that are then formed and allowed to dry in the sun. Seed bombs are filled with live, easy to grow NATIVE seed that can be tossed or thrown into hard to cultivate areas. It is very important to remember that the use of non-native or invasive plants in your Seed Bombs could have a drastic, negative effect on local and regional ecosystems, potentially leaving them uninhabitable for many species of native plants and animals. In Kansas, Giant Sunflowers are wonderful plants to use for Seed Bombing that will attract and feed local wildlife.
Making Seed Bombs is a fun and easy project that the whole family can enjoy. To start, all you need is a bucket, compost, red clay, seed, water, a box, and some cloths that you don’t mind getting dirty. Start by mixing 5 parts red clay, 3 parts compost, and 2 parts water in your bucket. Then add 1 part seed to the mud mixture. After the seed is evenly mixed, begin making mud balls about the size of Grapefruits and place them in the sun to dry. After they dry, collect your newly created Seed Bombs and place them in the box for transportation. Then toss them out of car windows, over fences, and across streams to cultivate those hard to reach places your shovel or hands cannot.
Guerrilla Gardeners around the world are uniting to make their world a beautiful and more productive place. So the next time you’re walking down the street and see Onions sprouting in a tree planter, Morning Glories climbing up an old stop sign, or Sunflowers popping up in the middle of a field, you might be witnessing the silent frontlines of the Guerrilla Gardeners.
For further reading, check out the book “On Guerrilla Gardening: a handbook for gardening with out boundaries” by Richard Reynolds. If you have any stories or tips for new Guerrilla Gardeners that you would like to share, please post them on our website @ nakedcitywichita.com.
