Growing a dye garden- 6

We are now mid-July, no cloud in the sky, sunny blue sky and an average temperature of 27 degree with no shade to rest from the heat. The dye plants are growing well although getting very thirsty. In this heat, it’s important they get enough water as a day or two without it can compromise their growth and put them in real distress.

Sunflower growing tall, overlooking the dye garden.

We’ve got great new signs to greet us when entering on the roof garden. Thank you to Helen Ingham, Letterpress Specialist technician at CSM, who designed and produced them.

  • Helen with the dye garden sign and tools

We planted the Madder roots in a container by themselves as they can be invasive. It will take 2 to 3 years before we can harvest the roots to extract colours.

  • Madder roots in a container by themselves.

The woad is growing in the shape of a rosette. In the big planter under the shade of the sunflowers the rosettes seem to be growing steadily. The leaves of the woad can be used in their first year as this is when their pigment is at its strongest. Next spring the plant will look completely different as it will have grown fairly tall with small yellow flowers (as shown in post on woad).

Woad
Woad and sunflowers sharing planter.
Dye plants growing in felt bags and recycled binder containers.
Coreopsis flowers in full bloom, ready to be harvested.

The Japanese Indigo has suffered from some extreme weather in the last months and hasn’t grown as prolifically as anticipated. The colour of their leaves should be greener and more luxurious. Some of the leaves are red which could indicate some sun damaged. It seems however to be gaining more strength, hopefully recovering and catching up slowly!