Dye Garden
Our dye garden consists of plants that can be used fresh or dried and most of them bloom in July. The dye garden is available for residents and on-site artists to forage and use during their time here. In addition to the fresh, blooming flowers we are also collecting and drying them for artists to use when they are not in bloom.
The Dye garden plants include Hollyhock, Coreopsis, Goldenrod, Marigold, Yarrow, Hopi Sunflower, Purple basil, Purple Sage, Calendula, Echinacea, Gomphrena, Scabiosa, and Zinnia
We also have a number of native and other plants growing on the property that can be used to create dye, ink, and paints.
Below are some of the wild dye plants currently growing on the property.
Blackberry-Rubus fruticosus: Leaves, canes, and berries can be used to create purples, pinks, brown and yellow.
Braken-Pteriidium aquilinim: Leafy fronds can be used to create oranges and yellows.
Dock, Sorrel-Rumex species: Leaves and roots can be used to create deep orange, browns, green, and yellows.
Nettle - Urtica dioica: Plant tops are used to create yellow, mustard, orange, and beige colors.
Common Yarrow-Achillea millefolium: Plant tops can be used to create yellows and greens.
Willow - Salix species: Leafy stems and bark can be used to create yellow, brown, grey, and orange.
Elderberry-Sambucus species: Leaves, bark, and berries can be used to create a variety of colors from yellows, oranges, browns, and purples.
Dandelion-Taraxacum officinale: Flowers and leaves are used to create a variety of yellows.
Hawthorn-Crataegus species: Flowers, berries, leaves, and twigs can be used to create oranges, yellows, browns, and black.
Oregon Grape-Mahonia species: leaves, berries, and roots can be used to create purples, yellows, greens, and grey.
