This is a selection of images of the plants growing on our allotments.
All images copyright Natures Rainbow. Please contact us if you wish to use them.
Click images to enlarge.
Dyers Chamomile full flower
Madder dyed silk yarn
Once removed the outer bark reveals the translucent orange flesh. The central woody core can be seen here through the root.
Japanese Indigo flower and Brian’s hand spun wool skeins dyed with indigo extracted from the round leaf strain .
Elecampane in full flower
The pale yellow flowers of Common Madder
The even paler flowers of Wild Madder – Rubia peregrina
Coreopsis Double flowering perennial variety
A completely red variety.
Saw-Wort in flower. Also excellent bee friendy plant
Dahlia with Bumble
Coreopsis flowers catching the late sun
Ladies Bedstraw in Flower
Genista Tinctoria in flower July 2014. Also called Dyers Greenweed, this is a pretty perennial and one that is vigorous if kept well-watered. Use spring and summer prunings in the dyepot. Loves wet, acid soils.
Weld, or Dyer’s Rocket shoots skyward as the summer season comes round. This is a biennial and these second year plants are used for dyeing. Weld loves chalky soils.
Madder has very tiny flowers which give no clue to the deep red which the roots yield in the dyepot.
Spring on the allotment, ‘watering in’ first year woad seeds. The yellow flowers are second year Woad.
Woad leaves steeping in hot water at the start of the extraction process.
Madder root has some fleshy finger-like properties when fresh out of the ground and washed.
Dear lady,
I am a new dyer trying to learn about natural dyes. I found your entrys`s about japanese Indigo very interesting. I am reading your entire blog now and admire your talent and how clear your information is writen.
I will love to have seeds from the round leaf Persicaria tinctoria. I have a 250 m. allotment plus glashouse in Amsterdam. I got a magnificent yellow from Sophora japonica trees growing near my house. I hope you have a system for selling by post.
with best wishes
Ana Maria
Hi Susan
I am an artist living in Cromarty and I would like to try some large hangings using natural Scottish dyes.
I have never done this before but want to create about 5 of them – possible using calico or canvas, they would be dipped in two colours and hung in a large room which will have an audio installation, reflecting home and refugees.
I am not sure where to start but would love to be able to make the dyes but think that is a steep and slow learning curve as I am working as well as studying. I wondered if you sold dyes?
Do you have any advice please- this would be very appreciated.
Kind Regards
Rosie