Greenaid for Change, Guerrilla Gardening, and the Seed Bomb

Seed Bombs

In a grassroots, public interactive awareness campaign by Common Studio, Greenaid for Change provides Seed Bomb vending machines for small business owners to place in their communities, making guerrilla gardening more accessible to its local citizenry. Re-purposing old gum ball machines, Greenaid will even make up a special Seed Bomb concoction specific to the particular ecology of the local environment where the vending machine is destined.

The idea of guerrilla gardening planted its seed back in 1973 in the Bowery neighborhood of New York City. In essence, guerrilla gardening is meant to beautify the world’s neglected spaces with flowers and plants by secretly tending those areas when nobody’s looking.

A technique frequently employed by guerrilla gardeners – simply scattering seeds into neglected areas – is not always successful depending on the soil conditions. Thus the Seed Bomb was born.

Seed Bombs, otherwise known as Green Grenades, are small balls of soil and seed combined. The soil and compost surrounding the seed create a built-in mini-environment, which enables the seeds to germinate in areas that are hostile to plant growth.

Apparently, Seed Bombs are relatively easy to make and are a favorite among DIYers. A bit of quick research revealed numerous websites and blogs with instructions on how to make your own, such as GuerillaGardening.org, FloridaGardener.com, and even the L.A. Times.

Or just join the Greenaid initiative, and get your very own Seed Bomb dispenser to start dispersing those seeds.

Image: bradley.garwood