Gardening Club of VCU founder Andrew Alli.Beth Furgurson photo
The Gardening Club of Virginia Commonwealth University has ambitions beyond growing produce — members want to make the city they live in a more beautiful place.
Andrew Alli, the founder of the student-run club and a rising senior at VCU, had heard that "seed bombs" are a quick, easy way to beautify any space. Sun-dried balls of compost or soil, clay, and wildflower mix, they can be tossed anywhere right before a rainstorm. Mother Nature will do the rest.
"Wildflowers spread quickly and attract both butterflies and honey bees," Alli says. The club distributes the seed bombs to friends as a promotional tool. Alli says it usually takes a few weeks before plants start to grow, but wildflowers are very prolific and thrive when they are mature.
To beautify your own space, follow this recipe:
Start with five parts clay to one part compost (or soil) to one part wildflower seed mix (5:1:1). Add water slowly, mixing the parts in a bowl until the mixture becomes like sticky dough. Be careful not to add too much water, as it will make the mixture runny, and you will have trouble forming the balls. Take a handful the size of about two or three tablespoons and roll it into a ball. Set the completed seed bombs in a sunny spot to harden over a few days, then toss them into your yard.
