How many seed bombs do you need for a funeral?

One ball per guest is the usual figure here, unlike at celebrations. A set of forty loose balls covers twenty to thirty guests; a set of a hundred covers fifty to eighty.

What should the tag say?

Three things: what it is, what to do with it and in whose name it is given. Add a note that it should be sown in spring, otherwise the ball ends up on frozen ground in November.

Are seed bombs allowed on a grave?

That is set by the cemetery rules of the parish or municipality, which are binding almost everywhere when it comes to planting on graves. Ask the cemetery office before doing anything at the grave.

How quickly can seed bombs be delivered at short notice?

Ready-packed sets from stock are the safe route, because hand-rolled balls need drying time. For a short-notice date, send a message with the date of the service.

A flowering memory: seed bombs at a funeral

Q: Do the balls come in muted colours?

They come in natural earth tones from ochre to grey-brown. I can pre-sort them by tone on request; for funerals the muted greys are usually chosen.

There is no checklist that fits a funeral. If you are still looking for something guests can take home, seed bombs often come up — because they promise nothing they cannot keep. They are not comfort. They are an action carried out later, long after the day itself.

Why a ball of soil

Cut flowers are wilted by the end of the week. A candle burns down. A seed bomb moves the moment: at the service it is only pocketed. Weeks or months later, when somebody puts it on soil, something happens — in a place the family chose themselves. For many people that delay is exactly right. The day of the funeral is full enough.

There is a practical side too. A ball is small and quiet and fits into a coat pocket. Nobody has to carry, balance or explain anything.

Quantity and format

For a funeral I count differently than for a celebration. One ball per guest is enough here; two quickly feel like a party favour.

20 to 30 guests
one set of Forty loose, with spares.
50 to 80 guests
one set of Hundred loose.
A small circle, 6 to 16 people
a ready-packed set such as Six in a jute bag or Wildflowers, 16 in a bag, with no filling to do.
More than 100 guests
Send a short message — I plan larger quantities where I can.

On timing: there are often only a few days between a death and the service. Hand-rolled balls need drying time, so ready-packed sets are the safe route. If it is urgent, write to me with the date and I will tell you honestly whether it is possible.

Packaging

Plain natural paper bags or simple linen pouches, unprinted.
A small tag of unbleached card, handwritten or set in a quiet typeface.
A basket by the door with a sign beside it. Almost always better than placing balls at each seat — everyone decides for themselves.
No ribbons, no glitter, no organza.

The balls come in natural earth tones, from ochre to grey-brown. I can pre-sort them by tone on request; for funerals the muted greys are usually chosen.

Wording for the tag

"For name. Put the ball on soil in spring and water it in. What grows from it keeps growing."

"In memory of name, year – year. A handful of wildflowers, for a place you choose."

"Take something with you that flowers later. Lay it on loose soil, water it, wait."

"Thank you for being here today. This one is for the spring."

One line is easily forgotten: say that the ball should not be thrown straight away. A funeral in November and a ball on frozen ground come to nothing. "Best in spring" is enough. The reasoning is in the sowing calendar.

One place instead of many

Some families choose differently: not a ball for everyone, but a handful for a single spot — the corner of the garden where someone liked to sit, the edge of a field, a bed by the house. That is often more coherent than fifty balls scattered across the country, and it gives the family a reason to go outside together in spring.

Throwing is only for your own ground or ground where you have permission. Cemeteries have their own rules, and planting on graves is regulated almost everywhere — ask the cemetery office first. For everything else, see Am I even allowed to?

What I do not promise

A seed bomb is not a memorial. Some balls are never thrown, some do not germinate, and a meadow made of ten balls stays a small meadow. For a lasting planting, perennials or a tree are the better choice. What seed bombs can do is smaller: give guests something that is not used up immediately, and give the family a reason to go outside in spring.

See Hundred loose See Six in a jute bag Send an enquiry