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growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:06 pm
by naomij
I have just started to have a bash at dying cotton and wool with natural dyes...it would be fab to grow the materials in my own measly garden. Has anyone tried this? I am a very inexperienced and not awfully enthusiastic gardener, I am ashamed to say. My garden is dark and clay and blurgh. Apparently woad is easy going though?
Thanks for any thoughts
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:12 pm
by red
woad is fairly each yes
other easy ones are rhubarb leaves (yellow), buddleia (yellow) and onion skins (yellow)
in fact, apart from woad, most natural dyes seem to be in the yellow - beige range.
we got a light green from nettles.
pale purple/pink from elderberries (though berry dyes are sposed to fade )
if you can get hold of Jenny Dean's book on dyeing with wild materials, thats excellent, as is her
blog
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:26 pm
by greenorelse
Hmmm. I was thinking, well, you usually plant rosemary for remembrance....
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:53 pm
by naomij
red wrote:woad is fairly each yes
other easy ones are rhubarb leaves (yellow), buddleia (yellow) and onion skins (yellow)
in fact, apart from woad, most natural dyes seem to be in the yellow - beige range.
we got a light green from nettles.
pale purple/pink from elderberries (though berry dyes are sposed to fade )
if you can get hold of Jenny Dean's book on dyeing with wild materials, thats excellent, as is her
blog
thanks will def look at her blog in a mo! I think I might have to try rhubarb in my horrid garden too then.
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:54 pm
by naomij
greenorelse wrote:Hmmm. I was thinking, well, you usually plant rosemary for remembrance....
oh knickers I spelt it wrong
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2011 10:18 am
by Nomada
Does anyone know how easy madder is to grow, I'd love to try it.
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2011 9:14 pm
by frozenthunderbolt
onion i have used nicely.
I completely failed to grow both woad and madder from seed - i'll have another bash though
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 9:53 pm
by scrap
Datura Stramonium,Atropa Belladonna...
I'l log out now...
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:48 am
by becks77
Turmeric is a nice one , changes colour in different acid and base concentrations
http://www.wildcolours.co.uk/
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/naturaldyes.shtml
Here's few websites with very nice pointers
Best of luck
Re: growing plants for natural dying
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:16 pm
by naomij
thanks for all the replies
can you grow turmeric here then, wow! Off to check out your links now.
Am trying some rhubarb today, if I like it will have to plant some
