Maya Drozdz and Michael Stout were walking through their downtown Cincinnati neighborhood thinking about how to combine their love of design and urban renewal into a saleable product when they hit upon an idea. Why not make seed bombs—small clumps of clay, seeds, and compost—that, with just the flick of a wrist or a well-aimed slingshot, could transform a vacant lot into a garden for birds and wildlife? “We live in a historic inner city neighborhood and it’s definitely a place that could use some beautification,� Drozdz said.
To make the products, the entrepreneurs followed USDA guidelines to include hardier native plant seeds and avoid invasive plants. Then they packaged the marble-sized bombs in muslin bags printed with a snazzy typeface and watched in awe as customers snatched them up.
Today, their seed bombs are carried nationally in stores like and . Meanwhile Drozdz and Stout have expanded from wildlife habitat and regional flower seed bombs to herb and edible flower ones ().