SeedBombs [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

On the face of it, dedicating a whole book to a glorified mud pie seems a little much. But my god, has this book got heart. Seedbombs are a vessel for distributing flowers (and sometimes edibles) into tucked-away places, along with all they need to germinate. Sometimes they are made of mud and clay with seeds rolled in, other times from biodegradable balloons with water, or paper bags. As one might expect, there's a great deal of detail in the book on how to make various bombs, and on the whys and ways of bombing, including a pertinent bit about the importance of ecology. Author Josie Jeffrey also explains how to seed-bomb safely. Jeffrey works a lot with children and this comes across in a wonderful, charming way throughout the book. This is an excellent resource for schools (as well as parent and grandparents). It is also a funky-looking book that will appeal to young teenagers, and is detailed enough in botany to use as a teaching aid. This is the hip, alternative side to gardening, which I think could attract all sorts of new gardeners. Alys Fowler is a gardener, writer and broadcaster. --Gardens Illustrated March 2011 SEEDBOMBS are not an obscure super-food actress Gwyneth Paltrow would feed her children. Nor are they something expensive and age-defying you might smooth into your face. They are not dangerous, or illegal. No, seedbombs are fun, simple and gently subversive. Seedbombing is about making your world a little more beautiful, without having to ask permission or go formal. They are something anyone can do, anywhere, anytime. They are guaranteed to spread not just flowers, but small bursts of joy as well. So what are they? Seedbombs are little balls of compost and clay stuffed with wildflower seeds, which can easily be flung into places that could do with some beauty wasteland, unloved urban areas, anywhere abandoned or forlorn. Ugly corners, forgotten alleys, barren stretches of ground can all benefit from this simplest and most hands-on form of guerilla gardening. Seedbombing is pared down to basics, or as seedbomb innovator Josie Jeffery (pictured far right) says: here you have in the palm of your hand a little revolution, something that can change the face of the earth, something that contains the early stages of a field of wild flowers, edible crops, or a herb garden. It is a simple, positive idea. You make the seedbombs at home, at little cost, using mud and seeds. Once you have completed your seedbombing checklist (see below), you are ready to walk and launch. You chuck them as you go, even from a car or bicycle or train window, so long as you have good aim. I use seedbombs to mark journeys,says Josie, who is a horticulturist and author of a beautiful book about the practice, Seedbombs: Going Wild With Flowers. A walk to work or school can be seedbombed, to make an ordinary walk more of a delight you can see the flowers germinating, growing, attracting bees and insects. Seedbombing creates a habitat for city wildlife. It makes places for bees to collect pollen from native wild flowers without having to go so far out of town. We only use native wild flowers so that the seedbombs don t interfere with nature s balance, or introduce plants that would take over and smother our native plants, she says. There is a sense of unpredictability with seedbombing. Its random nature is what attracts people, the magic of waiting to see if this strange little ball will grow, if it actually works.Josie, 33, is a horticulturist and garden designer with a difference; she embodies the DIY aesthetic of punk, rather than stuffier formal garden design. She is a passionate advocate of seedbombing, saying that the small balls of seed-filled mud can make ugly, forgotten land beautiful and useful again, restore plant and wildlife populations, nourish and feed the soil. - Irish Examiner 25.05.11 --Irish Examiner 25.05.11

SEEDBOMBS are not an obscure super-food actress Gwyneth Paltrow would feed her children. Nor are they something expensive and age-defying you might smooth into your face. They are not dangerous, or illegal. No, seedbombs are fun, simple and gently subversive. Seedbombing is about making your world a little more beautiful, without having to ask permission or go formal. They are something anyone can do, anywhere, anytime. They are guaranteed to spread not just flowers, but small bursts of joy as well. So what are they? Seedbombs are little balls of compost and clay stuffed with wildflower seeds, which can easily be flung into places that could do with some beauty wasteland, unloved urban areas, anywhere abandoned or forlorn. Ugly corners, forgotten alleys, barren stretches of ground can all benefit from this simplest and most hands-on form of guerilla gardening. Seedbombing is pared down to basics, or as seedbomb innovator Josie Jeffery (pictured far right) says: "here you have in the palm of your hand a little revolution, something that can change the face of the earth, something that contains the early stages of a field of wild flowers, edible crops, or a herb garden." It is a simple, positive idea. You make the seedbombs at home, at little cost, using mud and seeds. Once you have completed your seedbombing checklist (see below), you are ready to walk and launch. You chuck them as you go, even from a car or bicycle or train window, so long as you have good aim. "I use seedbombs to mark journeys," says Josie, who is a horticulturist and author of a beautiful book about the practice, Seedbombs: Going Wild With Flowers. "A walk to work or school can be seedbombed, to make an ordinary walk more of a delight you can see the flowers germinating, growing, attracting bees and insects. "Seedbombing creates a habitat for city wildlife. It makes places for bees to collect pollen from native wild flowers without having to go so far out of town. We only use native wild flowers so that the seedbombs don t interfere with nature s balance, or introduce plants that would take over and smother our native plants," she says. "There is a sense of unpredictability with seedbombing. Its random nature is what attracts people, the magic of waiting to see if this strange little ball will grow, if it actually works." Josie, 33, is a horticulturist and garden designer with a difference; she embodies the DIY aesthetic of punk, rather than stuffier formal garden design. She is a passionate advocate of seedbombing, saying that the small balls of seed-filled mud "can make ugly, forgotten land beautiful and useful again, restore plant and wildlife populations, nourish and feed the soil, people and animals, bring communities together, educate, and, importantly, bring joy." The concept of seedbombing comes from an ancient Japanese practice, tschui dango ( earth dumplings ), which was revived by a visionary 20th century microbiologist and farmer, Masanobu Fukuoka, who "greened-up" ravaged land all over the world via seedbombing. "He believed that mother nature takes care of the seeds we sow and decides which crops to provide us with, like a process of natural selection," says Josie. She also cites New York s Green Guerilla gardeners, who began the guerilla gardening movement in 1973 when a woman called Liz Christy gathered friends and neighbours to clear out a vacant lot and create a vibrant community garden in the space. "The Green Guerillas have beautified many desolate spots around the city and still operate today," says Josie. "Their mission is to bring the people together to create and educate through community gardens." Josie s upbringing instilled in her a love of nature and the "magic of propagating" plants from seeds --Irish Examiner 25.05.11

SeedBombs presents 13 recipes for seedbombs. Some are designed to attract birds, butterflies, and much needed bees, others are created for colour, scent, wellbeing, allotment produce and wild salads. The book explores and explains what seedbombs are; digs up the roots of their Japanese origins; unearths the contemporary background for guerrilla gardening; and reveals the benefits to nature, the urban environment, and community health.