We have all heard about the declining bee populations, and the dramatic impact it will  have the on world’s food supply. But although everyone is aware of the problem, most are not aware of the positive impact their individual actions can make toward helping this cause. Here at Bloomin’, we are looking for a way to help make this empowerment process easier for the American people. And it comes in the form of plantable seed paper.

The transformation of wilderness into farmland has greatly impacted pollinators, such as bees. And the trend of monoculture (growing a single crop over a large space of land) means that only a small portion of bees and insects are getting the nutrition they need. The result? The bees don’t come and pollinate the land, resulting in lower crop yields, and bees having to fly farther to get the pollen they desire. An estimated $18 billion worth of fruits and vegetables grown in the Unites States depend on bees for pollination. Without bees, this profit won’t even come close to what it is now. Imagine the devastation on the American agriculture industry, and the people who will go hungry because of it.

Other reasons for the bee population decline include pesticide use, introduced diseases and pests. Yes, there needs to be new government regulation on the pesticides used and subsidies for farmers using methods and growing crops that bees find favorable, but the solution to this problem will take more than sitting back and waiting for these bills to pass. It takes the initiative of a population on an individual level: people need to take this matter into their own hands to solve the declining bee problem. And Bloomin’s plantable seed paper is the perfect tool to help you get started on this path.

By combining a diverse mix of annual and perennial wildflowers that bees are highly attracted to and are native to numerous parts of the country, we have made planting your own wildflower garden easy and affective. Simply take the seed paper, plant it under a thin layer of soil, and water it. Bees prefer gardens that are diverse, with many colors and different species. Fortunately, many of the plants that bees like are attractive to humans too. So you will not only be helping save the bees, but enjoying a vibrant floral landscape as well.

Initiative can be taken beyond individual gardens and backyards. America has an abundance of suitable land for planting, right along the 4 million miles of roads that stretch across the country, resulting in 10 million acres of suitable land. Imagine the impact if all those stretches of highway also served to save the declining bee population.

Let us know if you have any other ideas regarding the “Save the Bees” movement. We are really looking forward to helping make a difference!

It’s always fun to see photos of our seeded paper growing!  Here is a photo of some beautiful (and tall!!) Zinnias that bloomed from a recent  PB5 flower bookmark project. You can see that our seed paper works well right in your office as out in your garden. Part of the reason our paper has such a high germination rate is the diversity of seeds. Each sheet includes a mixture of 13 different types of annual and perennial wildflower seeds that will grow everywhere from Atlanta and Anchorage!

The first 5 people to send a picture of growing seed paper will receive a FREE Seed Paper Growth Journal. Send photos to flowers@bloomin.com

This flower video is a little rough,  but the seed paper we planted in 2010 grew quite well. Yea the broad-leafed zinnias did take over and shaded out most of the other wildflowers, but we kept our garden watered and we got good results. This is a small garden on the north side of our business. I tried to demonstrate how I planted the seed paper and how it grew. Yes, we painted our building last summer and it looks much better, so no, this is not some kind of “sleight of hand”. I just linked up the photos I took over the summer and fall and this is what I got. I hope you enjoy it.

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I didn’t do it here in this video, but I have obtained my highest germination rates by creating a greenhouse environment in the early stages of development by covering the planted area with some plastic for a week or so until the sprouts are well established. Once our seed paper is planted it is imperative that it doesn’t gets a chance to dry out. If the seedlings start to develop, and then dry out, they will more than likely not be viable. Below is some seed paper packed with black-eyed Suzan seeds. I put a couple sheets of seed paper in an open baggy on a warm window sill. This is what can happen in a very receptive environment.

Black-eyed susan seeds are small and this paper must have been loaded with them.

Below are some sprouts that were not grown in a zip lock bag, pretty huh! This is where we conduct our loose germ tests. We also test our paper with another company periodically in perfectly controlled environment, but we are always planting random sheets of paper in this tub so we know we are delivering a quality product that will grow.

Here are some real world results you should expect for our seed paper products.