Materials:
- Clay (available from craft stores)
- Compost or potting soil
- Seeds (easy-to-grow or native varieties)
Instructions
1. Divide your materials so you have:
- 5 parts clay
- 1 part compost/potting soil
- 1 part seeds
2. Combine the clay and compost. Add a little water if your mixture is dry. The mixture should be moist but not dripping wet; similar to the consistency of cookie dough.
3. Add the seeds to the clay and compost. Thoroughly work the materials together with your hands.
4. Shape the mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball.
5. You can plant the seed balls while they're still moist, or allow them to air dry.
6. Find areas in your yard and surrounding community that could use a little green. Toss or place your new treasures directly onto bare soil. As long as they are watered (either manually or by rain), the clay will break down and the seeds will grow.
Choose Your Seeds
Wildflowers are good choice of seeds for seed balls because in nature they are self-planted and their seedlings are hardy, requiring little care. Seeds of native wildflowers work especially well because they are adapted for your climate, and they also provide a food source for local pollinators. (Choosing native wildflower species isn't a must, however. Non-native wildflowers, including red poppies, also work well in seed balls. Just be sure to avoid any plants that are invasive in your area.)
Some seed suggestions:
- Cosmos – One of the easiest plants to grow from seed. Garden experts often say if you can’t grow cosmos, you may want to try a different hobby.
- Milkweed – Food for monarch caterpillars; use your seed balls to grow plants where these hardworking, migrating butterflies can lay their eggs.
- Red poppies – A symbol of remembrance to honor fallen soldiers, red poppies are easy to grow and provide eye-catching splashes of color.
- Coreopsis – Adaptable to a variety soil conditions and light levels, coreopsis plants are extremely drought tolerant once established.
- Coneflower – A popular plant for butterflies and birds, purple coneflower is also extremely drought tolerant once established.
