• Who is Bloomin?
Bloomin is the original manufacturer of handmade plantable seed paper. From a backyard chicken coup production facility that started back in 1995, this small family business has grown from a specialty greeting card niche business, into the worldwide authority on all things seed paper. Employing a diverse mix of eco-minded, creative individuals (and some Boulder hippies), the company now employs anywhere from 20 – 60 folks who perform a multitude of tasks and duties depending on the season and specific opportunities that we take on. Producing millions of seed paper products each year, no job is too big for us to handle in a timely, and consistent manner. Our attention to detail and reputation for producing seed paper with the highest germination rates makes us the obvious choice of marketing executives, wedding professionals, promotional products distributors, and all seed paper aficionados.
• Is Bloomin a Certified B- Corp? What does that mean?
We are proud to announce that Bloomin has recently joined the B Corp community! B Corps (or Benefit Corporations) are for-profit companies that have adopted a new type of company structure, to ultimately solve social and environmental problems.
In a nutshell, Benefit Corporations are required to consider the impact of their decisions on shareholders and stakeholders equally. In this way, B Corps actively seek to improve standards for company stakeholders including workers, suppliers, community, customers, and the environment. Additionally, each company hoping to become a B Corp must score at least 82 points on a rigorous impact assessment proctored by B Labs in order to become certified. Certified B Corporations meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Today, there are over 1,300 Certified B Corps around the globe, including Patagonia, Namaste Solar, and Klean Kanteen. We are proud to join them in the movement to redefine corporate success so that eventually all businesses will become of benefit to society and to the environment! To learn more about our certification, check out our B Corp profile: https://www.bcorporation.net/community/bloomin
• What is seed paper anyhow? How does Bloomin make it?
At Bloomin our Seed Paper is made by hand in Boulder, CO. We take un-dyed, 100% post-consumer/ post-industrial recycled paper, and break it down into paper pulp that started as FSC paper. We use old-school paper-making techniques and handmade molds and deckles to handcraft each sheet. Bloomin Paper is packed with flowers, vegetables, herbs, grass, tree, and many other varieties of seeds. It’s easy to grow and cultivate! For consumers who receive seed paper, just soak the paper in water, plant under a thin layer of soil, and watch our seed paper take root and sprout in a few short days!
• How does seed paper work?
Some regions will have better luck with some seeds than others—but all regions will have a variety that thrives. Follow the tips below, and you’ll be enjoying beautiful wildflowers in no time!
*While perennials don’t normally bloom the first year, your annuals will. You can look forward to the perennials coming back each year to remind you of the person that sent them.
When to Plant
1. Plant the paper outdoors in early spring or late fall. Fall plantings will take advantage of the winter rains to give you early spring blooms.
2. Plant anytime indoors, then transplant to a more permanent location in the early spring.
How to Plant and Nourish
1. Soak the seed paper in water overnight.
2. Loosen the soil, or fill a planter pot ¾ of the way with potting soil.
3. Place the wet seed paper in the planter and add a light layer of soil on top to hold in moisture.
4. Water well, especially during the first 4 to 6 weeks.
5. Once the sprouts are well established they can easily be transplanted to a more permanent outdoor location.
• What is your paper made out of, is it eco-friendly?
Bloomin’s seed paper is crafted from 100% post-consumer, post-industrial, recycled paper. It is either natural white (the base pulp color) or colored with all-natural, vegetable-based pigments. When printed, most sheets are printed with water-soluble 4-color process inks or soy-based inks, when letterpress printed. If any packaging is required, we use corn-based packaging. Our production facility is powered by a 30KW solar power system–enough for all of our energy needs and then some!
• Can I print on your seed paper at home? What printing method is best?
Printing Options
We do not recommend digital or offset printing when printing seed paper. The heat from digital printers can compromise their ability to grow and seeds can damage your expensive printer. Worse than heat on seed paper, is pressure. Offset printing will crush the seeds in the seed paper sheets, rendering them sterile, and unable to grow. If your project is less about growing and focused only on sending an eco-message, then offset printing on our smoother and flatter ECOnomy paper might be an option. But, remember, the pressure of an offset press will crush and kill the seeds, so please don’t make any claims about their ability to grow when offset printing.
Bloomin has developed a proprietary printing system that provides the highest quality four-color process printing, without compromising the germination rates! In order to ensure your promotion looks as good as possible and is delivered in full, on time, and with no surprises, we recommend leaving the seed paper printing to us. We pioneered printing on seed paper 22 years ago, and currently own and operate specialized printers to get the job done right and on time. However, if you own wide-format or commercial-grade inkjet printing equipment, you too can print on seed paper and achieve fantastic results. There’s a bit of a learning curve, and you will probably have some wasted sheets, so please allow for at least 10-20% overs on your bulk seed paper order for printing yourself.
Inkjet
Premium | Signature
We utilize water-soluble earth-friendly inks to ensure the highest germination rates, print quality, and earth-friendly processes. Our unique inkjet technology utilizes 4 color CMYK process that is gently sprayed onto the seed paper. Unlike offset printing, which crushes all of the seeds under the pressure of the rollers, our process offers exceptional print quality without compromising the germination rates. This cutting-edge technology also allows us to print on our thicker and more textured Signature, Premium, and even Original seed papers. If you have your own inkjet equipment, you can certainly run them yourself, but you may quickly come to understand the additional time and costs associated with hand-feeding each sheet.
Offset or Digital
ECOnomy
For our commercial printing friends, we have formulated a truly unique seed paper option that can be run digitally or offset. We make this sheet in a smoother, larger size that will feed and run on most digital or offset feeders. Because offset printing crushes the seeds, and digital equipment cooks the seeds, we cannot guarantee the germination rates of our printed “ECOnomy” seed papers. They are indeed packed with visible wildflowers for a truly natural and eco-friendly statement, but they will not grow like our other papers do. We encourage you to be equally transparent to your own customers about their inability to grow, particularly once they’d been printed offset or digitally. We continue to see this unique and affordable seed paper to be very useful in communicating eco-friendly messages of all kinds.
Letterpress
Original | Premium
Many of our customers have come to appreciate the age-old look and feel of letterpress printing. Each sheet is literally “hand stamped” one sheet at a time to produce a high-texture stamped look and feel. Letterpress printing is the oldest form of printing, dating back to the 15th century. A custom metal printing plate is used to “press” or deboss one ink color into the seed paper creating a rich, striking texture.
• How can I get a sample of your seed paper?
Please send an email to samples@bloomin.com with your sample request, as well as any information you have about the product you are interested in. We will send over product specs, pricing, or any information needed along with your samples.
• How can I order your Bloomin Seed Paper Products?
- Search through hundreds of products until you find the perfect seed paper product
- Click on that product and choose your color, seed type, and quantity and add it to the cart
- Click the view cart or the shopping cart icon at the top of the page to check out
• How long will it take to produce my order?
This is dependent on the product and the quantity. The standard production time for up to 2500 blank sheets or shapes is 2-3 business days.
• How will I know if you have received my order?
You will receive an order confirmation within 1 business day of placing the order. If you do not receive this confirmation please call us at 800-894-9185, or email: orders@bloomin.com.
• Can you ship orders internationally?
Bloomin is USDA approved and has had success shipping our paper to countries on all 7 continents. If necessary, we can help you acquire an import permit from your country’s Agricultural Department prior to obtaining a Phytosanitary Certificate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We’ve been doing this for decades and understand all of the rules and regulations that allow us to send our seed paper around the globe. There are very few restrictions when sending our papers to Europe, and Canada. With trusted distributor partners around the world, we can help make the process smooth and easy regardless of the destination.
Our bloomin.com website allows orders to be shipped into Canada. Due to stringent regulations on agricultural products in certain countries and frequently changing regulations, we like to investigate each international order on a case-by-case basis. For information on all international orders please call, or email flowers@bloomin.com with your inquiry.
• Can I use stamps to mail my seed paper? Will it go through the mail without an envelope?
Stamps will absolutely adhere to our seed paper postcards, including our Save-the-Date cards for weddings. People also send our plantable seed paper postcards as effective direct mail solutions. Our cards are relatively light and flat and do not typically require any additional postage when mailed in an envelope, but you might want to double-check with USPS.com if adding additional weight to your mailing.
• What types of seed mixes do you offer?
Bloomin seed paper uses only the highest quality seed available. We hand-make paper that grows into flowers, herbs, trees, chili peppers, vegetables, grasses, and more. Our expert staff can also develop custom seed mixes to meet your needs. Check out some images of our seed paper taking root.
ORIGINAL wildflower seed mix (available as stock in all original colors)
We recommend using the Bloomin Original Seed Mix for all of our “integrated” promotional products, as it offers the highest germination rates across all growing regions. This mix has been researched and approved by the agricultural department and includes a hardy and diverse mix of annual and perennial wildflower seeds that include:
Five-Spot | Siberian Wallflower | Annual Candytuft | Baby Blue-Eyes | Scarlet Flax | Cut and Come Again ‘Pumila Mix’ Zinnia | Sweet William Pinks | Mixed Corn Poppy | Tall Spurred ‘Northern Lights’ Snapdragon | Catchfly | Gloriosa Daisy | Black-Eyed Susan| Purple Giant Hyssop
PREMIUM seed mix (available as stock in Premium White paper)
This seed mix used in our Premium seed paper features smaller seeds for a smoother flatter printable surface. It is thicker and stiffer than the signature sheet offering a luxurious and higher-value look and feel. It also offers the highest germination rates of any “Printable seed paper” on the planet. It is available in a mix of wildflowers and also herbs (as outlined below).
Dwarf Godetia | Clarkia | Tall Spurred ‘Northern Lights’ Snapdragon | Catchfly | Mint Lemon | Tall White Sweet Alyssum | Black-Eyed Susan
POSITIVITY seed mix (available as stock Premium White paper)
Plant Positivity is our newest seed paper line to help promote wellness to your customers. These seeds are all hand-selected to bring positivity both mentally and physically. Scroll below to view all of the benefits of our Plant Positivity mix along with some examples of our fully-plantable products.
Peppermint | Lavender | Basil | Sage | Chive | Chamomile
PRINT seed mix (available as stock in Signature & ECOnomy White paper)
This seed mix, used in all of our Signature and ECOnomy seed paper, features smaller seeds for a smoother flatter print surface. It also grows well in most regions.
Catchfly | English Daisy | Sweet Alyssum | Spurred Snapdragon | Corn Poppy | Black-Eyed Susan
HERB seed mix (available as stock in Original white, forest, & sage as well as Premium White)
We currently produce a white and a sage 8.5”x11” paper with a mix of herb seeds in it. This mix includes the following seeds:
Parsley | Chives | Basil
HOPE seed mix (available as stock in pink)
This paper blooms into the following pink flowers when planted:
Baby’s Breath | Carmine | Catchfly | Sweet William Pinks | Cornflower Pink Ball | California Poppy | Carmine King
VEGETABLES (available as stock in cranberry, lime, & orange)
We offer Carrot seeds in Orange, Tomato seeds in Cranberry, and Chili Pepper in Lime as stock.
EVERGREEN TREE mix (available as stock in forest)- 20% Upcharge
Our Evergreen Tree Mix is loaded with evergreen seeds that come in our forest green color.
CUSTOM seed mixes
Please contact flowers@bloomin.com to inquire about custom seed mixes and colors.
As you can see, certain seed mixes are only available in specific colors. Custom seed mixes are also an option, but minimum order quantities and upcharges may apply. There are literally thousands of seeds we can potentially embed into our papers, but some have limited availability and others may prove not to be cost-effective. So, email flowers@bloomin.com and we’ll look into your custom seed request.
• What are the Scientific names for the seeds in your wildflower mix?
Sweet William Pinks – Dianthus barbatus
Rocket Larkspur – Delphinium ajacis
Candytuft – Iberis umbellata
Baby Blue – Eyes Nemophila menziesii
Corn Poppy – Papaver rhoeas
Forget-Me-Not – Myosotis sylvatica
Wallflower – Cheiranthus allionii
Columbine – Aquilegia caerulea/A. vulgaris
Zinnia – Zinnia elegans
Lemon Mint – Monarda citriodora
Five Spot – Nemophila maculate
Catchfly – Silene armeria
English Daisy – Bellis Perennis
Sweet Alyssum – Loblaria maritima
Spurred Snapdragon – Linaria maroccana
Black Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta
• Are your Seeds Non-Invasive?
These species are not considered to be noxious, or invasive and most are considered to be drought tolerant. We have worked hard to identify species that are non-invasive to all regions of the US and Canada. They include a hearty and diverse mix of annual and perennial wildflowers that will grow well across all growing regions.
• Are your seeds Organic or non-GMO?
Absolutely Non-GMO! Here at Bloomin, we are dedicated to making the biggest impact on you while making the least impact on the environment. All seeds used in our plantable papers are certified Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project. We do not typically use organic seeds, however, as they add considerable costs and we cannot guarantee the soil and growing environment to be organic, so your flowers, herbs, or veggies would not be truly organic, even if we start with organic seeds.
• Will the seeds start to sprout in my bag if they get wet?
If you leave the wet seed paper in a bag for a few weeks you may come back to some baby sprouts. However, seeds take a little while to germinate (at least 2-3 weeks) without direct sunlight or constant water. Feel free to travel with your seed paper gift without the fear of gardens growing in your luggage.
• Where is your paper made?
Bloomin’s paper is handmade in our factory in the shadows of the mountains in Boulder, CO.
• Because you make paper in Boulder, CO, can we get seed paper with Marijuana seeds?
NO! This is a commonly asked question. Because federal regulations prevent Marijuana from being distributed across state lines, we are unable to use those seeds or even industrial hemp in our paper.
• What is the shelf life of your seeded paper?
We continuously test and plant seed papers that have been at our factory for several years. Seed paper can grow even if 5 or 6 years old, but typically the germ rates start to decline after 3 or 4 years. This will also depend on how the paper is stored – keeping it in a cool, dry place will preserve the germ rates much longer than if the paper is kept in a hot, humid one.
• What are the Pantone Color equivalents to your Original Paper Colors?
Because our papers are dyed and not printed, we cannot match PMS or CMYK colors. However, we can get pretty close to guidelines when needed. Below is the closest PMS color to each of our 21 stock colors to give you some approximation.
• Can I order bulk seed paper shapes?
Yes, many people come to Bloomin.com each day to choose from hundreds of seed paper shapes. Choose your color, choose your quantity and choose your shapes. We will send them out quickly and affordably as outlined on our seed paper shapes page.
*Bulk Seed Paper
Looking for bulk or large quantities of our seed paper products? Then we have a great deal for you. All of our pricing is based on quantities, so send us an email at flowers@bloomin.com and we’ll get you a quote that meets your exact needs. Check out bloominpromotions.com if you’d like to see quantity-based pricing for custom-printed seed paper promos.
*Custom and Promotional Seed Paper Orders
At Bloomin we have built our reputation on fast, affordable, and highly effective plantable promotional items. We sell our promotional products through our trusted ASI and PPAI distributor partners. Please email flowers@bloomin.com to get in touch with one of our distributor partners, or to learn how to become one yourself.
Whether used for wedding invitations, greeting cards, social stationery, or promotions, our all-natural seed paper makes its most meaningful impact when planted—the garden it grows can be enjoyed year after year, adding a little more beauty to our world.