Dye Garden Planning - Natural Color from Plants

Passion Project - Natural Color for Dye Garden

This year I am planting a natural dye garden. I have raised beds with a natural compost pile tucked in the corner and homemade built in trellises. Two of the beds have established perennials and herbs that delight year after year.

For years this garden has been for my vegetables, but we have some resident groundhogs and bunnies and the last few years it has proven to be a lesson in futility. Where I patiently tend the fruits and vegetables from seed to maturity, constantly adjusting the watering to the natural rhythms of the seasons, plucking spikey thistle and deep rooted weeds only to have the perfectly ripened fruit and veg plucked by the wildlife right from under me.

This year it will be different. I am laying the foundation for my dye garden. A mix of perennials, bi-annuals and annuals, all known for their beautiful color after extraction. Some will be ready to use this year, some I will have to wait several years before they are ready to share their lasting, colorful beauty.

I have always been attracted to naturally dyed items, and the idea of using plants for color. I obsessively have read books, blogs, tips and tricks for years, and finally, I’m putting my collected knowledge to work. Combining this idea of natural dye with my love and knowledge of regenerative, companion plant gardening and sustainable products. I’ve sourced some beautifully made organic bags: produce bags in various sizes in muslin and mesh, sandwich and snack baggies and even wine totes; and I am so excited to use these as my first products for hand dyed items.

Deciding what plants has probably been the biggest challenge! I want them all!!! I’ve organized them in rainbow color order, doing my best to have a variety for each color, as I am new to this and am not sure the subtle differences in the colors produced. My plans include a mix of sunflowers, hollyhock, rudbeckia and coreopsis and trying my hand with indigo and madder. I have also been saving all of my families avocado peels and stones. We eat a lot of avocados! I have several other plants in my established pollinator gardens that I can pull from too. Striking bee balm, hibiscus and lavender to name a few. Follow along on this journey through my newsletter. Will it work? Will it be an epic fail or a dream come true?