Seed balms are the solution for pollinator food deserts, for adding a bit of extra color to your garden, and an educational and fun activity that you can use to supervise your children and engage in conversation about the future. By creating these as a family project, you are focusing on the coming months, the future plants, and the needs of other living things. Discussing the need for pollinator habitat, the importance of our pollinators, and how to help the environment is easy to accomplish as you select the seeds, rip up the newspaper, smoosh out the water, and wait for the balms to dry.

Ingredients:

2-3 sheets of newspaper, shred by hand

3 cup measuring cup

Seeds – about 1 T of assorted, or choose specific types for each batch

Blender, paper towels, sieve

How to:

Place shredded newspaper in measuring cup.

Fill cup with water until it covers the paper. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Place mixture in blender and mix until pureed.

Put sieve in sink and pour puree into it. Let it sit and drain until the consistency of a wet bread dough.

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Rip off a tablespoon size blob of the dough, add a pinch of the seeds, and roll into a ball. Press firmly the ball into silicone mold.

Sponge off excess water, and pop the seed balm out. Let dry.

These seed balms are very light when they dry. Nestle into the soil and water. Why not plant these in a design in your garden. Have separate seed balms for red, white and blue flowers? A flag design in your garden.