The dye garden.

Creating a dye garden, big or small, is an exciting and fulfilling project to embark on. Many of the plants used for dyeing are fairly common and easy to grow. Some research into natural dye plants and the area you live will be helpful to begin planning your dye garden. Dye plants that are common, easy to grow and easy to use include Marigolds, Dahlias, Hollyhock and Calendula. Some other plants which are easy to grow but require a bit more processing for the dye part includes Woad and Madder.

Woad can be seen growing in the foreground, followed by Dyers Chamomile, Hollyhock, Dahlia and Marigold.

Many natural dyes require the flowers and/or leaves to be used for the dyeing process. Other plants require to have the roots harvested, such as Madder, which can mean the plant needs to be well established before harvesting the dye material. As the dye garden develops and grows, plants will be harvested and processed, future blog posts will detail these processes for each of the dye plants.

Creating a dye garden need not be scary or overwhelming, starting small with common well known plants will make the process easier and ultimately an enjoyable and rewarding experience!