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How to make seed bombs

Whether it’s a plant pot, flowerbed, a patch in your yard, or an entire meadow, sowing wildflowers provides vital resources to support a wide range of insects that couldn’t otherwise survive in urban or built-up areas.

Throwing, breaking up or digging ‘seed bombs’ (or balls) into areas in your garden that need a little brightening up is a perfect way of spending an afternoon!

Materials that are needed:

Meadow flower seeds or seeds collected from the garden.
Peat-free compost.
Water.
Powdered clay (found in craft shops).
Mixing bowl.

Creating you seed bomb

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of seeds with 5 cups of compost and 2-3 cups of clay powder (you could use clay soil instead if you have it).
Slowly mix in water with your hands until everything sticks together.
Roll the mixture into firm balls.
Leave the balls to dry in a sunny spot.
Now for the fun bit! Plant your seed bombs by throwing them at bare parts of the garden and wait to see what pops up! ( make sure to add a little water to your seed bombs if they are completely dry to help them germinate.

Do seed bombs actually work?

Seeds require moisture to germinate. … If you then let the seed bomb dry out, or even if you toss it while damp into a green space that then does not immediately get some good rain showers, the seeds will cease germination and die. So the seed bomb is less likely to work.

What seeds are good for seed bombs?

Some of my favorite seeds for seed bombs include: wildflowers (native to your area), alyssum, lobelia, butterfly milkweed, scarlet sage, sunflower, basil, cilantro, lettuce or tomatoes all of which grow easily from seed. Putting together your seed balls is very simple just follow the steps above.

Where do you plant seed balls?

Seed Ball Tips:

Do not bury Seed Balls.

Do not break up the balls, they are more successful if kept intact.

Place in an area with full sun and well-drained soil.

You can also find packets of wildflower paper seeds shaped in hearts at Printhousedesign1 on Etsy.

Vases, Vessels, and other Containers

Any container that holds water can hold flowers. Coffee pots, cans, apothecary jars, antique pewter vessels, glasses, or concrete urns. If you are drawn to a container that doesn’t hold water, such as a wooden box, wicker baskets, or rusty bucket, use a plastic container within the unique vase and build your bouquets from there.

Tall cylindrical vases might work for longer stems, like tulips, but they don’t lend themselves to fuller arrangements. Instead look for vessels that have a wider opening at the top. It’s best to match your container to the mood of an event. A casual country-style reception might call for mason jars, water pitchers, or ceramic pots. A more formal celebration could use silver-plated tea sets, fancy pedestal bowls, or crystal goblets.

Narrow-necked bottles and bud vases are good for single stems and can be arranged in groups. They can wander down a dinner table or sit at every place setting. Silver tea services, with their matching sugar bowls and smile pieces. Beakers, flasks, and other laboratory glassware are striking, modern containers.

Going to flea markets, antique shops, and consignment stores can be perfect places to find that unique vase, vessel for your bouquet flowers! If you love animals, check out Printhousedesign.com on Etsy and see unique planters that are 3D printed in over 50 different animals!

Colocasia Plant Tips

Colocasia known as Elephant ears. They can be grown indoors or planted outside. Colocasia have a more spreading habit and their leaves typically have a velvety surface texture. Elephant ears can easily hold their own as a solo plant in the garden or in a large container.

Below are a few plant care tips to help your colocasia to flourish.

Care Difficulty – Easy
Provide a bright, indirect location with minimal sunlight. Sites that are too bright will cause bleached leaves and sun-scorch, whereas shady areas will result in soil mould and root rot. It’s best to locate Colocasia with overhead lighting, as their growth structure may topple over when situated too far from a light source.
Allow the top third to dry out in between waters, reducing this further in the autumn and winter; over-watering is the most common issue with Colocasia, so always be cautious with your regime.
Keep an eye out for Spider Mites that’ll form webs on the under-leaves of the plant, Aphids that’ll attack the juvenile growth.
Especially with those kept in a dark location, gently rinse the foliage monthly to increase the light-capturing efficiency.
Repot every three years using a ‘Houseplant’ potting mix, or a general-purpose compost with some perlite. Introduce some grit for larger specimens to strengthen their root system.
Bright overhead lighting is best for wholesome (360º) growth, as locations too far from the window will cause dramatic phototropism. Although the excessive sunlight should be avoided at all costs, an hour or two of winter sun will provide vital nourishment to get it through the dormancy period.
Allow the top third to dry out in between waters, reducing this further in the autumn and winter. Under-watering symptoms include stunted growth, brown leaf edges and yellowing leaves. These issues are commonly caused by being pot bound, too much sunlight or heat, or pure forgetfulness. Over-watering symptoms include a collapsed base, yellowing older leaves, mouldy soil and plant death. If you feel that root rot is to blame, remove the affected leaves, roots, and soil, and replace with a fresh batch of houseplant compost

If you have any more helpful tips please comment below….

Growing Calamondin Citrus Tree

With its glossy-green foliage and abundant, golden fruit, this citrus tree is a great starter plant. If you’re new to growing citrus trees as houseplants, I highly recommend starting with an indoor/ patio-tolerant Calamondin Orange. Small but abundant, bright-orange fruits appear at regular intervals on this cross between a Kumquat and Mandarin Orange. Calamondin oranges are quite tart and a good substitute for Persian limes in most recipes. Their tangy juice and sweet zest is delicious in many drinks, desserts, & savory dishes.

When potting your newly acquired citrus tree, choose a ceramic, clay or plastic pot with adequate drainage. Ensure that the selected container has several holes at the bottom, and fill the drainage dish with gravel or stone to allow good moisture release and airflow. Well-drained soil is also critical. Buy pre-mixed potting soil and mix with compost to give it more nutrients.

Citrus trees need 8-12 hours of sunlight per day. During the fall and winter months, place your Calamondin in a draft-free, south-facing window with even temperatures (55-85°F is ideal). Avoid locating the tree where temperatures fluctuate radically: such as near wood stoves, ovens, radiators or exterior doors. Calamondin Orange Trees may be moved outside in late spring (after the last frost date in your area). Be sure to slowly acclimate your tree to outdoor conditions by placing it in a protected spot.

Water your tree regularly and cover the soil with mulch to help reduce evaporation and temperature fluctuation at the root zone. Soil should be kept on the drier side during winter months to avoid root rot and fungal infections. Like most tropical beauties, Calamondins enjoy humidifiers and/or regular misting as well.

Calamondin oranges take about one year to ripen from the time blossoms appear. However, because the tree will produce flowers and fruit at the same time, harvests can happen over a period of weeks or months. Snip bright orange fruit from branches with sharp snips to avoid tearing the tender skin. You’ll know the oranges are ripe when they are just soft enough to give slightly under the pressure of your fingertips.

With proper attention and care, a Calamondin Orange Tree will provide many golden harvests of fruit and years of beauty, inside and out.

All you can eat in a basket

Planting up a mix of edible plants in a hanging basket can be a rewarding activity that you can share with your children or your loved one. Children of all ages can help plant and watch the plants grow in the summer and throughout the fall.

Getting started:

Plant combinations in one basket can create a delicious salad or a fruity snack. Such as a few strawberries, edible flower petals, feathery dill and leafy basil. To make caring for the planted basket even more child friendly, hang it eye- level so that everyone can see the plants growing. Children can also help with watering, collecting the petals, strawberries, or leaves from the basil.

Watering and feeding

The dill provides edible foliage and also grows quickly so is ready first and gives children a quick reward. A couple of marigolds will provide plenty of edible petals, which add a vivid orange color to any salad. Hanging baskets can dry out easily because of wind, sun, so adding compost soil to the dirt mixture can help. You can also hang your basket indoors in the kitchen for an easy way to add a few leaves or petals to any meal.

More edible suggestions

Tomatoes, such a single plant, can be planted ( cherry tomatoes) easy for little ones to pick and eat.

Lettuce needs plenty of moisture for the leaves to be sweet and tender.

Mint is one of the most popular herbs for kitchen gardeners because they can quickly harvest while cooking. You can grow most herbs from seeds or starter plants. If you’re starting from seeds, keep in mind that most herbs don’t like waterlogged soil, so it’s best to use a spray bottle instead of a nozzle to water your containers.

Most varieties of peas are easy to grow, and a great plant to start with your children. Peas grow quickly, providing an immediate reward. Plant peas in well-draining soil, and within just a few weeks you’ll be peas-fully shelling and snacking.

All of these plants are easy to grow, requiring little garden know-how and very little legwork. Keep in mind that these plants require well-draining soil. If you use a pot, make sure you have a tray underneath to collect water. Place your plants in areas with plenty of sunlight and remember to harvest regularly for the freshest and tastiest results.