Nature Blog

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

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

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 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

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

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

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:

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 🙂

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

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

“We can think of nothing better to help make the world a better place, than cultivating your garden. Someone who grows a garden to help nature is personally doing the important work of improving the world. Never underestimate the power of such a seemingly simple act” Ana & Emily Seedball

We love May! It’s such a beautiful month for seeing wildflowers – they really do start to come into their own. And, it’s also not too late to plant wildflowers too! In fact, so many are beginning to flower, listing them all is quite a challenge. Most flowers blooming in

This week is Hedgehog Awareness Week (2nd-8th May), so we are focussed here at Seedball HQ on how we can make our gardens a little more hedgehog friendly. Did you know that research has shown In the UK our beloved Hedgehogs are in decline and are now listed as “Vulnerable” on Britain’s red list

It’s amazing how few people know the truth about peat. Speak to avid gardeners, ardent environmentalists, devoted wildlife lovers, and shockingly few will know that peat, when left in the ground, provides a precious home to many rare species, and is a rich store of carbon. Globally, peatlands store half

Annuals have beautiful blooms to attract pollinators, like this lovely mix of poppy and cornflower. Know Your Plant Types – Annual, Biennial, Perennial Plants have three main growth types – annual, biennial and perennial. In a simplified way one could look at it like this:Annual = 1 yearBiennial = 2

In this blog our wonderful stockist Cecily of shop PomPom shares her top eco friendly Easter ideas to do with kids…. Spring! The word alone brings joy or indeed, springs joy! It is a wonderful time of the year, just as it begins to feel like winter would never end,

We love to get outside on a clear, cold, crisp winters day and see what nature we can spot. You don’t need to be in the countryside, a daily walk around your local area will work just as well, even front and back gardens might be hiding some natural treasures.

Wildflowers are a stunning addition to any area, be it garden, balcony, windowsill or pots, not only do they look gorgeous, they are great for wildlife too. Spring – Sow, sow, sowAfter the last frost you can sow your Seedballs in Spring (usually February to May, but the earlier the

It’s often presumed that the best (and perhaps only) time to sow wildflower seeds is in the spring. It’s easy to understand why. Nature is fizzing with activity and raring to get going after the long winter sleep. Human beings are the same and we’re more inclined to get outdoors

Hedgehogs are in threat of extinction, and are now classed as vulnerable in the UK. Numbers of these once common creatures have fallen due to habitat loss, injury and free passage; we can help by providing a friendly environment, easy access to our gardens, food and places to nest. Hedgehogs

Take part in the world’s largest citizen science survey from July 17th to August 9th!!   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 a

GO NATIVE Our wild plants are under threat … do your bit by planting some native plants. MAKE A HOTEL Using sticks and tying them in a bundle with string makes a cheap and effective insect habitat. TIN CAN ALLEY A tin can filled with soil and fixed to a

Life is getting difficult for our insects. A recent study published in the journal Biological Conservation found that more than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered. It’s a rate of extinction eight times faster than for mammals, birds and reptiles. With a decrease of 2.5%

NOT ALL SUPERHEROES WEAR CAPES And some of them live in the most unlikely of places. Take earthworms for instance. They populate healthy soil, are rarely seen by human eyes unless you’re digging and do all kinds of incredible deeds that benefit not only themselves but virtually all life on

Wildflowers are a great way to invite pollinator species into your outdoor space, but no matter how small the space is there is always room to do something else to keep mini-beasts happy.  While we might like an area to look neat and tidy many insect species thrive in those

The so-called ‘perfect lawn’ is difficult to achieve and super unhelpful to the wildlife who live in our garden!. But the good news is, letting your garden become a meadow or creating a wildflower patch is actually quite simple. Merely by deciding not to cut your lawn you will eventually

We are so so delighted and proud to be a partner of Backyard Nature, a campaign to get all children to spend more time enjoying and protecting nature where they live. Run by the brilliant Semble (previously known as ‘Project Dirt’), the project will be launched this Saturday with over