While I will admit, I’ve taken mine in the direction of fancy, a fiber garden doesn’t require a lot of space. And it doesn’t have to adhere to a grid layout. In fact, my standard advice applies here. Experiment. I live in zone 6 and in my garden I’ve got cotton, flax, madder, onion, turmeric,
Light-fast? Nah… Last week, we tried our hand at using purple carrots as dye. As promised, I’d like to share my results. Purple carrots are not a light-fast or substantive dye. This means they don’t produce long-lasting color and the dye doesn’t adhere to fiber without a mordant. The superwash merino I tried didn’t take
This week, I harvested the rainbow carrots from my square foot garden. I ended up with a couple of pounds of carrots and I knew what I’d use them for. You see, I’ve got a nine-month old baby, and not only can I say I make his baby food, but I also grow it. This
One of the most common errors I see in natural dye recipes and discussions online is the confusion between a mordant and a modifier. For example, I’ve heard vinegar called a mordant more times than I can count. The truth is, mordants and modifiers have very different purposes. A mordant, usually a heavy metal such
The Plant Mint is a perennial plant that can be started from seeds or clippings. It is slow to germinate, but can quickly overrun a garden. Mint loves full sun and loamy soils rich in organic matter. Mint is aromatic and often used in cooking and for tea. Because it creates runners and quickly propagates,
The Insect Cochineal comes from the dried bodies of Dactylopius coccus, a type of scale insect which feeds on prickly pear cactus. Scale insects are immobile insects which are often permanently attached to their host plant. They are native to subtropical areas, but are often cultivated in Peru, Mexico, and Australia. Cochineal was harvested and
The Plant Black walnut is native to the central and eastern United States. It prefers well-1drained soil in lower altitude and usually occurs in mixed forests. It is widely planted in the United States, Europe, and other temperate regions of the world. The black walnut tree can usually grow to 130 feet (40m) tall. Trees
The Plant Marigolds are an annual flower native to Mexico and Central America. It has a strong scent and produce yellow, orange, or red-yellow flowers. The plants bloom from mid-summer until the first frost. It has become a popular garden plant in North America. Marigolds are a great companion plant. They deter deer and other
The Plant Woad is a biennial plant which produces blue dy. The first year broad, large leaves are used for dye. The plant produces a large taproot and the larger the root, the more dye is produced. Woad was one of the earliest dyes used in Britain, where it was also reported to have been
The Plant Madder (Rubia tinctoria) is native to western and central Asia. It has become naturalized in parts of central and southern Europe as well. Madder can grow from 1-1.5 meters tall and the roots can be over 3 feet long. Madder can be bought from some garden centers or grown from seed. It prefers
