making seed balls...

seed balls are pretty fascinating little natural wonders...we made some recently at our Spring Garden Party using the recipe below, and now after all this rain, we expect wild flowers to be blooming soon...

{ recipe }

2 parts potting soil
5 parts pottery clay mix (ours was donated by r.wood pottery, but you can purchase from your local art supply store)
1-2 parts water
1-2 parts seeds of your choice
large tub to mix ingredients
large box to dry and store seed balls

{ how to }

mix the soil, clay and 1 part water thoroughly. There should be no lumps. slowly add more water until the mixture is the consistency of the toy store molding clay that comes in a can.

add seeds. keep kneading the dough until the seeds are well mixed in. add more water if necessary.
take small bits of the clay mixture and roll into ball about one inch in diameter. the balls should hold together easily. if they’re crumbly, add more water.

dry seed balls for 24-48 hours in a shady place before sowing or storing. they store best in a cardboard box. do not use plastic bags.

the last step is sowing them. yes, you can place the carefully over the area to be planted or you can gently toss them one at a time which is a lot more fun. don’t bury them and don’t water them, simply let Mother Nature do her job.
or if you prefer not to make a batch yourself, we packaged ours in little packs of 2 that are available for purchase for $1...they make great little gift toppers or party favors...