Nature Blog
Hedgehog Awareness Week 2022
Did you know Hedgehog Awareness Week is the 1st – 7th May. Naturally, we thought this the perfect time to think about how we can make our gardens a little more hedgehog-friendly. In the UK research shows hedgehogs are in decline and are now listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on Britain’s Red List of mammals. The State
Peat-free April
Why our peat bogs are so important and why you should go peat-free We are now nearing the end of ‘Peat Free April.’ But we are hoping that everyone now sees how easy it is to be peat free and continues on! Happily, Peat sales to gardeners in England and
Wildflowers of April
April is here – and that means Spring is! This month really brings us Joy as wildflowers begin to emerge in earnest. And, it’s the perfect time to plant wildflowers too! We’ve popped some info below on some of the most common wildflowers at this time of year. Daisy (Bellis
Garden Insects
Growing wildflowers in your space, should attract lots of beneficial insects. Here are some you might see in Spring. Aphids You may not think aphids are beneficial but in order for some of our favourite wildlife to survive they need to exist! There are more than 4000 different species of
British Butterflies – I.D. Basics
The Very Amateur Naturalist Nick Ostler is a scriptwriter by day and a wildlife obsessive also mainly by day. Instagram @theveryamateurnaturalist Twitter @theveryamateur1 All images and words © Nick Ostler Confession time I never used to bother trying to identify butterflies. Every time I crept close to one it would
Spring School Giveaway 2022
Join our Spring School Wildflower Revolution! Huzzah! To celebrate Spring and make sure we make 2022 the most blooming marvellous year yet we’re giving away bags of of odd balls to schools while stocks last (see form below). All you need to do is cover postage (£6pp). You will receive
How One Little Person Can Make A Big Difference For Wildlife
EnviroKid UK Here at Seedball we were so impressed by how EnviroKid, age 9, made a huge difference for wildlife at his local school with a super simple action, we can all learn from. Here’s his inspirational story! When I get outside, I have so much fun. When I go
BBC Green Planet Seed Balls
** entry now closed – 11th March – thank you for the wonderful response ** We’re sooo excited to be working with the BBC to supply a million wildflower seed balls as part of The Green Planet TV series. Packs will be available for free to schools across the UK!
LOVE wildflowers this Valentine’s!
Let’s LOVE wildflowers this valentine’s! At Seedball we’re all about the ‘birds and bees’ this Valentine’s Day, here’s what you can grow to share the love with wildlife that can be found in your garden. It’s time to think about planting up your garden to give wildlife a valentine’s day
February Garden Wildlife
Frosty February, short on days but big on love, with Valentine’s Day on the 14th. This month can be bitterly cold with grey snow-filled skies or clear and frosty with amazingly colourful sunrises and sunsets. But there is still plenty of wildlife to look out for in your garden. Some flowers
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 🐦
Get the kettle on and settle down at your window to watch the birds in the garden. It’s really easy to become a citizen scientist and help the RSPB count birds in the garden! Just spend an hour between Friday 28 and Sunday 30 January counting garden visitors. It’s free,
WHY WILD SEEDS NEED WORMS
by Sally Coulthard www.sallycoulthard.co.uk By best-selling nature writer Sally Coulthard, Woodcuts by Sarah Price. When Charles Darwin had to pick what he thought was the most important animal in the world he didn’t choose the ape for its intelligence, or the sheep for its usefulness, or the duck-billed platypus for
Seedball Christmas Gift Guide
From Seedball gift boxes and sets to gifts stocked on our site from our favourite independent makers. The Seedball 2021 Gift Guide contains gifts from organic beauty to childhood treasures, find a wildlife loving, outdoorsy, sustainable feel good gift for everyone – support small business in 2021 – make it
Gardening For Wildlife
Get gardening for wildlife! The last 50 years have been witness to huge declines in native wildlife species. Together we can really do something to reverse this. British gardens combined, cover more land than all our nature reserves put together! Estimated at a whopping 10 million acres. Making our gardens
Head Out Into Your Garden This October And Take Part In Garden Safari – Find Out More Below!
Share your images of the wildlife that has been drawn to your spaces by Seedball blooms. For a chance to win our October bundle on social media, we would love to see pictures of any flora and fauna in your garden, whether it’s bumblebees on your borage, crab spiders on
Autumn is a Great Time to Scatter Seed Balls – Find out why and More Wildlife Gardening Tips Below!
You don’t have to wait until spring to scatter seed balls however. Autumn is a great time to get to work on your own wild flower patch. It’s also a lovely time to be out in the garden. The light is soft, it’s often still warm and everything takes a deep breath after a summer of frenetic activity.
Wildlife shortcuts for your garden!
by Michael, aka Mr Plant Geek www.mrplantgeek.com If you’re looking to attract wildlife into your garden, but don’t think you’ve got the time, then think again! And, before you even start, I gotta tell you, you’re already in the right place, as the seedball is the very epitome of a
Wildflowers of September
As summer draws to a close, it is important that there are still flowers around for late foraging bees and other pollinators, some blooms you may have seen in August will continue flowering into September. Wildflowers to look out for include the mauve pincushions of Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis). Did you
Wildflowers Of August
August – traditionally the month of cornflower blue skies, sunshine and holidays. Lots of wildflowers will have already completed their lifecycle and produced seed. Look out for different seed vessels like the poppy shaker pots, which can look lovely left in situ. Oxeye daisies may have a second flush of
Join in with the Big Butterfly Count and help take nature’s pulse!
There is still time to take part in the world’s largest citizen science survey from 16-July to 8-August. Run by Butterfly Conservation, this totally brilliant, public led survey takes place every summer in the UK – spend 15 minutes in the sunshine and count the butterflies that you see!Butterflies are
Let’s Look At The Secret Life Of Cuckoo Bumblebees
by Jean Vernon www.addictedtobees.com Have you ever wondered about cuckoo bees? Maybe you’ve never heard of them? Jean Vernon explores and exposes the secret life of these rather sneaky bees. The call of the cuckoo bird heralds the start of summer, for us at least, but spare a thought for
Wildflowers Of July
July sees new blooms coming through from wildflowers that take a little longer to get going but can last until the autumn, providing pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies. Knapweed also know as ‘hardheads’, will be revealing their tufty purple petals from within their sturdy buds. Scented meadowsweet will be
Why are wildflowers important for birds?
by Izzy Fry mynatureandphotographyblog.com You don’t normally associate birds with flowers, but they are actually very important for our feathered friends! Wildflowers are more than a colorful addition to the landscape, they provide range of different food and habitats for a variety of species, including birds! First of all lets
Wildflowers of June
Wildflowers really begin to come into their own this month! Cowslips and bluebells will likely be finished blooming, and most of the flowers that began emerging in May will continue flowering throughout June and often right up until the end of the Summer. Keep on deadheading your wildflowers and they’ll
Go Wild this June for 30 Days Wild!
We love June – as it’s time to join in with the Wildlife Trust’s 30 Days Wild challenge. This month The Wildlife Trust challenge you to do one wild thing a day – 30 simple, fun and exciting Random Acts of Wildness. Your Random Acts of Wildness can be big
Garden Wildlife Week: 31st May – 6th June
From the 31st May to the 6th June, it is Garden Wildlife Week! We can’t think of a better week to focus on turning your garden into a wildlife haven! Whether you have a large garden, a paved yard, balcony or a window ledge, there is so much you can
A Year in the life of the Hairy Footed Flower Bee – End of season by Penny Metal
This World Bee Day Guest Blogger – Penny Metal (@penny.metal) shares with us a fabulous blog on the Hairy Footed Flower Bee. Penny talks on her blog and instagram about life in the bushes of Warwick Gardens, a small park in Peckham, London. Her new book ‘Insectinside’ is available from:
Join us in the Seedball Allotment – May 🙂
Hello lovelies! Join us (Ana & Sara) for a cuppa down the Seedball allotment. Where we check out what’s blooming and what’s about to burst into life and ID some wildflowers which will pop up later in the year 🙂
Why is growing plants so good for mental health?
In this blog we are so pleased to have Guest Blogger Paul Lawston share with us his insights into why growing plants is great for mental health. During the first lockdown the whole world seemed to re-discover two simple pleasures that could be carried out at home and which brought
Spring in the Garden
Guest blogger Helier, from @garden_goddess_uk, shares with us an insight into Spring in her garden and her experience with seed balls. Hasn’t it been so cold and dry this year! As a gardener I’m sure I’m not alone in constantly checking the weather forecast for frost and the fleecing of
