Natural Dyes from the Garden
Contributed by Jolene Ottosen for the Chaparral Green Thumbs
Recently, a few of us were working at the community garden and someone touched the petals of a purple iris that was still damp from a recent rain. Thankfully, she noticed her hands before touching her clothes because they were stained a rich, dark purple. This got us talking about natural dyes, and I thought it might be a neat idea to research and write about for a column as something different we can do with what we grow. I quickly discovered that this topic is vast, and while what I am sharing is just the basics, it is enough to get someone started.
The first thing I learned is that fabric dying is an art that requires time, effort, and planning, if you are serious about it. I also learned that while the natural colour palette might seem limited compared to what is available from commercial dyes, natural dyes always contain more than one pigment (even if it comes from a single plant), so your dye colours will always compliment each other far more than single pigment chemical dyes.
For basic dye that could be used for art projects with kids, one site suggests the following could be steeped with water to produce coloured dyes. These dyes might not set well enough on their own for fabric that would be washed, but it is a way to get started and get an idea of what colours are possible.
Yellow Orange Brown Pink Purple
Marigolds Carrot roots Hollyhock petals Camellias Blueberries
Dandelions Onion skin Walnut husks Roses Grapes
Yarrow Butternut seed Fennel Lavender Coneflowers
Sunflowers husks Beets Hibiscus
For the more serious dyer, you should plant perennial and annual beds that produce a variety of at least three colours: yellow, red, and blue, as these colours can be used on their own or blended to create the rest of the rainbow. The following are plant suggestions for the richest colour sources that can grow in the Calgary area, in addition to the plants mentioned above.
Blue
While Indigo is known to produce one of the deepest blue dyes, it does not grow well in our climate. An alternative that was popular in Europe before the introduction of Indigo is woad, as the leaves of this plant can produce a nice blue, similar in shade to indigo, just less intense. Woad is a member of the mustard family, and some varieties are hardy enough to survive our cold climates, however, it can become invasive, so exercise caution with this plant and remove the flowers before they have a chance to go to seed. Plant in an area where growth can be contained. Its leaves are also edible, although fairly spicy.
Red
Madder root produces a rich red dye once the plant is mature enough to produce roots that are at least a pencil width in diameter, usually after two or three years of growth. However, this is another plant that can become invasive if you let it. I found a blog from one Calgary gardener who planted her Madder seeds in a pot, then sank the pot into the ground over the winter to protect the roots while still containing them. Lady’s bedstraw is another plant whose roots can be used to make a rich red dye, along with yellow dye from the flowers. On a side note, this plant also produces an enzyme that curdles milk and can be used in the place of rennet to make some cheeses.
Yellow
Goldenrod is quite prolific in Canada and is easy to grow here, with flowering tops that can produce a strong yellow dye. Fresh tops produce the best dye that is quite colour fast when washed. Varieties of Yarrow and Chamomile can also be used to produce nice yellows, along with the earlier mentioned Lady’s bedstraw flowers.
Plant based dyes typically need the addition of a mordant and/or a tannin to help the colour bond with the fabric to become colourfast, meaning the colour won’t wash out, and they can also affect the colour of the dye by altering the richness or the shade. Alum, or potassium aluminum sulfate, is one of the most common mordants used as it is fairly cheap and safe. Alum acetate is another popular choice as it can help the dye develop a richer shade. Iron can also be added to some dye solutions to change the shade, such as turning the yellow dye from marigolds an olive green. Mordants and tannins are used in the fabric prep before the dying, helping to chelate the fibres, which means removing the buildup on the fibres that will prevent colour from bonding. This process takes time, so research and plan ahead. Iron can be added during the dying process or after.
The internet has many great resources for creating and using natural dyes and many dyers recommend The Dyer’s Garden by Rita Buchanan as a great print resource if you really want to dive into the topic. Below I will list the websites I used while researching this topic so you can learn more about the process, but feel free to experiment and see what works for you.
Sources:
- Arlee; it might “madder” that I grow my own :); albedo too; May 2, 2018
- Joybilee Farms, Planting your Natural Dye Garden for a Full Palette of Natural Colours
- Norton, Debrah; How to harvest natural colours from your backyard garden; the Star; Fri., Aug. 23, 2019
- Patterson, Susan; Dyes From Plants: Learn More About Using Natural Plant Dyes; Gardening Know How.
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