The dye garden:Planning
Despite it being a skill that people had in neolithic times extracting colour from plants feels like magic. As we have continued to become removed from the source of things basic skills are filled with wonder and mysticism. I want to share my journey with you as I try to make visiting the allotment to extract colour feel as mundane as ordering paint online.
Looking over my natural dying experiments from last year I am feeling inspired to convert part of the allotment to a dye garden. I will still be able to utilise foraged materials and continue my kitchen waste experiments. Working sustainably is really important to me so I will continue to make relationships with local restaurants and cafes.
Working with 2 restaurants last year proved to be very fruitful. I have to admit that sorting through the buckets of kitchen waste was not my favourite thing to do. Everything that I couldn’t use in the dye pot I took to the compost heap.In return the independent business saved money on their commercial waste.
Up to now all of my dyes have been used for yarn and fabric, this year I want to extend that but I also want to look at making inks to paint and print with. Fingers. toes and everything else I have crossed that my DYCP comes back with a yes. I have arranged a couple of mentoring opportunities lined up. I fear if I talk about it any further the whole thing will become cursed.
As I make endless lists of plants I want to grow and try to extract colours from I am constantly reminded that I have a half plot and not the rolling acreage my notebook and my brain thinks I have. In order to more effectively plan I want to make sure I am not planting too many colour repeats. I know there is an abundance of purple buddleja, which makes a great yellow dye. I also know that I can get a nice set of greets from nettles. Add to that my kitchen waste, and I am building up a good range…..in theory. So I am fighting my excitement to plant everything and I am going to go slowly. Here are the plans for this year.
Cornflowers - blue/purple
Woad - blue (I have not had great success in the past growing this but I like to persist)
Hawthorn - Rose
Black Hollyhocks - green & blue
St John’s Wort - pinks & yellows