Earth Day: Seed Bomb Making for Positive Resistance

We’ve moved our Earth Day seed bomb workshop—inspired by the special exhibition RAW—online! Artist and placemaker Gelareh Saadatpajouh and her daughter Io invite us to slow down, pause, and rediscover our forgotten relationship to seeds and our shared landscape, all year-round. Scroll down to see the video tutorial.

What is a seed bomb?

A seed bomb acts as a life support system to help get the seeds established in the ground. A seed bomb is a ball of native* seeds rolled into a mix of clay and compost. In relation to clay, compost forms something called the clay humus complex – the ions in the clay attach themselves to the organic matter and become much more available to plants. In a seed ball the compost also helps hold the whole thing together in just the right way.

* Native sees prevent invasive plants from taking over local ecosystem.

What do I need to make a seed bomb?

2 parts seeds
3 parts compost
5 parts clay powder (or flour)
2 parts water

About the exhibition

In recent years, artists have begun exploring the medium of unfired clay in startlingly new and original ways. From sticky and wet to dry and powdery, raw clay has the power to transform its physical state while transmitting deep connections to primal themes like the land, sentience, the body, and memory. RAW features four new installations by leading artists working with unfired clay: Cassils, Magdolene Dykstra, Azza El Siddique, and Linda Swanson. Learn more