Turkey Red Journal
Growing a Dye Garden
By Donna Brown
Imagine looking out from your patio to an inspiring vista of the Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms (DGB). Add to this a life-long love of natural dyes. Can you envision the garden down there, the blossoms of cosmos and coreopsis, the rows of indigo, the spreading madder, the hopi sunflowers nodding in the breeze? I am Donna Brown and this has been my vision ever since we moved to our room with a view that overlooks DGB, a 750 acre native plant refuge and working farm housing the Hildebrand Ranch, an historic homestead with cutting and herb gardens.
I am a passionate natural dyer and teach others the art in venues across the United States and abroad. I am also a weaver and member of the Rocky Mountain Weavers Guild (RMWG).
In 2013 the RMWG received a donation from the Ford family in memory of their daughter, Janice Ford, who was an active RMWG member. RMWG approached me to do a natural dye workshop with the monies received, knowing Janice's love of color. I instead suggested the money be used to start a dye garden. What an opportunity to bring a dream to a reality! With the guild's approval, I met with Larry Vickerman (Director of the DBG Chatfield Farms) who loved the idea. The RMWG also committed to additional funding to complete the garden irrigation and fencing. Starting in the fall of 2013 a RMWG natural dye group was formed to start researching and selecting dye plants that were appropriate for our area. Some plants were chosen because they are well known, such as Marigolds, Coreopsis, Black-eyed Susan and Cosmos. Other plants, such as Madder and Indigo, were chosen because of what colors they produce. Still others, such as Weld and Dyer's Broom, were picked because of their historic nature. This is the third year for the dye garden and many of the plants started from seed in the DBG greenhouses this year are from seeds of plants grown in the garden last year.
In 2015 we added Dyer's Broom (Genista tinctoria) and Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia sp.) to the dye garden.
Plants used to dye from top to bottom are:
Weld (Reseda luteola), Black Hollyhock (Alcea rosea), Cota - Navajo Tea (Telesperma filifolium), Yarrow (Achillea sp.), Marigold (Tagetes patula), Coreopsis Mahogany (Coreopsis tinctoria), Zinnia (Zinnia elegans), Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus), Madder (Rubia tinctoria), Coreopsis calliopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria), Indigo (Polygonum or Persicaria tinctoria), Hopi Black Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Along with doing research on what plants to grow in the garden, the RMWG natural dye garden project members also provide financial support and volunteer time to tend the garden, harvest plant materials for dyeing and dye yarn for sale. Most of the summer the group meets at the garden at least once a week for weeding and harvesting. A separate building, the old granary, houses a drying system for the dye plants and flowers.
We offer classes to educate the public about natural dyeing, provide a dye session as part of the DBG summer kid's camp and do dye demonstrations during DBG s special events. There is an outdoor kitchen the group has access to. For the kid's camp, the campers pick marigolds from the garden. While the flowers simmer the campers put rubber bands on cotton bandannas for resist marks. The bandannas are dyed and then the rubber bands are removed and their patterns are revealed. Last year the group clocked over 1200 volunteer hours.
The DBG assists the dye garden project by providing the site, as well as technical and physical assistance from growing seedlings in their greenhouse, to working the soil, installing the irrigation system, providing mulch for the walkways and building the surrounding fence.
All in all the collaboration between the Natural Dye Garden project and the DBG has been a rewarding educational project that has grown into something I could have never imagined. The group of RMWG volunteers has developed a friendship that has become a second family for many. I encourage you to look at your community for similar opportunities. If you are in the Denver area please come visit the dye garden. Look for the sign that tells visitors about the garden.
You can follow the project on:
(Use your browser's back button to return to the TRJ.)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growingadyegarden/
Interactive blog: https://growingadyegarden.wordpress.com/
RMWG website: http://www.rmweaversguild.org/natural-dye-garden-project/
Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farm: http://www.botanicgardens.org/chatfield-farms/janice-ford-memorial-dye-garden