Leave a Trail of flowers as you cycle through the wastelands.(+ bonus material)

I wanted to make a bike mounted device that would actively spread wildflower seeds along the wastelands and derelict areas that I often cycle through; thus helping our struggling pals, the bees and the butterflies.

I prepared to use what was to hand; a tennis ball and some bolts and brackets.

The trained monkey following a banana on a stick will come later.

Step 1 Step 1

These are the parts-

A tennis ball

A 6mm nut and bolt

A strong strip of metal (this is a stabiliser bracket)

A bolt long enough to go through a tennis ball and two nuts (I used a 10mm bolt)

Comments

[TrailH4x]

Here's a neat twist for you... http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=10934024 •Crayola Glow Chalk let kids create outdoor art that glows in the dark! •"Includes: 4 bottles of chalk dust, 4 packets of glow powder/activator, 2 thermoform trays with 8 molds" •Will create 8 pieces of chalk •Will glow for 4 fantastic hours!

[FriendOfHumanity]

Wow! That sounds amazing; thanks for letting me know.

[erajala]

Beautiful idea! Make sure to use indigenous plant seeds, though. The wrong kinds of plants can aggressively overtake the habitat of and kill native plants. (I've spend many hours volunteering with a land conservancy trying to reverse this very issue! On a larger scale, an entire ecosystem changed by one invasive plant.)
I DO, however, very much appreciate efforts to beautify the world. :)

[dervin2]

Where's the banana?

[shooby]

Wonderful idea, very creative! Just to be technical for a moment, the connection you chosen is the "seat stay bridge".

Another idea that may effectively serve the same purpose could be to wedge the tennis ball between your spokes. I've seen this done for aesthetic? purposes. Some consideration of hole orientation would be necessary however; centrifugal force might prevent seed distribution. On the other hand, it could be taken advantage of by rotating the tennis ball slightly depending on what kind of terrain you're cycling through, such that you have a less consistent but more selective distribution. Make sense?

Good job overall :)

[Lelamat]

Liked your idea ! Voted for it

[eulaliaaaa!]

DIY Persephone.

[Kaptain Kool]

Great Idea!

[sunshiine]

This is awesome! I love the concept.

[l8nite]

next time dont steal wilbers ball !! Really cool "ible" and not a bad idea on its face but aren't you sowing the seeds ON the trails ? and less than a handfull at a time? Why not just broadcast a handful of seeds at appropriate places ? or make a pocket full of small seedbombs? Oh well...I guess every little bit helps ... ^5

[FriendOfHumanity]

Dear Ignite,

Thanks for the comments, they are totally valid.

I just like things with a fun value; once my brain has a stupid idea it has to carry it through, at the expense of everything else.

Wilbur appreciates your support.

Kind Regards

FOH

[rimar2000]

Very well done!

[Logan D]

This is brilliant!

[AndyGadget]

Nice idea, and every little helps when you're battling against monoculture agriculture.

An interesting thing is that all the plants on your seed list are also common native (or long term naturalised) British wild plants too. I'm in the process of establishing a mixed hedgerow along one side of my garden and I'll be using a lot of those once I extend out from this into a wildlife / meadow area.

[jeff-o]

Wow! What a fantastic idea. Nicely done.