It began with blue
Therapists say that blue is connected with communication, so it seems apt to start with a post about woad and Japanese indigo. These are the two easiest indigo-bearing plants to grow here in the...
View ArticleAnticipating Indigo
We’re expecting to have Japanese Indigo ready earlier than usual this year, with the benefit of a ‘new to us’ greenhouse on our small allotment. It’s a classic 1970s greenhouse. Very stylish! Our...
View ArticleSeeds of Colour
So far this month the weather here is how I remember April from childhood: sun and showers and no extremes of heat or cold. And I’m feeling enthusiastic about the growing season ahead. We’re now well...
View ArticleGrowing Step by Step
Ashley is the horticulturalist. He lavishes the allotments with attention. This year the weather has been kind and the dyeplants have responded brilliantly. Here are annotated pictures of the main dye...
View ArticleGrowing Japanese Indigo
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2016 Japanese Indigo, Persicaria tinctoria or Polygonum tinctoria is a frost tender member of the knotweed family. Originally from China and Vietnam it likes to...
View ArticleGrowing Weld
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2016 Weld or Dyer’s Rocket (Reseda luteola) is a UK naturalised biennial wild flower that prefers to grow on chalk or limestone soil. It has pale yellow flowers...
View ArticleGrowing Dyer’s Coreopsis
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2016 Dyer’s Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) Plains Coreopsis, Garden Tickseed, Golden Tickseed, or Calliopsis is an annual flower growing from one to two feet in...
View ArticleGrowing Dyers Chamomile
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2016 Dyer’s Chamomile or Golden Marguerite (Cota tinctoria also known as Anthemis tinctoria) is described as a hardy but weak perennial because it usually dies...
View ArticleGrowing Woad
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2016 Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is a naturalised hardy biennial member of the Brassicaceae or cabbage family and was probably introduced into the UK from Europe....
View ArticleGrowing Madder
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2017 Common Madder (Rubia tinctorum) is an excellent source of red dye. It is indigenous to Southern Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa but has...
View ArticleLooking into Chenciner’s Madder Red
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2017 Madder Red – A history of luxury and trade (2000) by Robert Chenciner published by Curzon Caucasus World ISBN 0 7007 1259 3 This book is devoted to all...
View ArticleThree strains of Japanese Indigo tested and observations on indigo extraction
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2017 This year I had planned to carry out a tightly controlled experiment to look for variation in the amount of indigo produced by three fairly distinct strains...
View ArticleFrom Seed to Stitch
I am passionate about working with cloth and yarn dyed from plants you have grown yourself. I gave a talk yesterday to the Chelmsford Embroiderers’ Guild. I had a lovely evening. Thanks to Angela and...
View ArticleElecampane – Inula helenium
An article by Ashley Walker © copyright 2018 When we first became interested in growing and using dye plants we came across an entry in “Traditional Scottish Dyes and how to make them” by Jean Fraser....
View ArticleThe Natures Rainbow Year – (and its only half way through!)
An article by Susan Dye and Ashley Walker © copyright 2018 2018 is turning out to be our most successful yet. The year began with our good friend Brian Bond joining us to deliver a two day workshop in...
View ArticleThe Natures Rainbow garden 2018 – Part one
by Ashley WalkerCopyright August 2018Banner photograph copyright Sharon Cooper On the 9th August, after two months with barely a drop of rain, the heatwave and drought in the South East of England may...
View ArticleThe Natures Rainbow Garden 2018 – Part Two, New Plants
By Ashley Walker Copyright August 2018 Introduction Since the industrialisation of synthetic dyes most of the knowledge of plant dyes was lost in Europe until it was partially revived by craftspeople...
View ArticleNatures Rainbow Garden Update – Spring 2019
By Ashley Walker Copyright 8th May 2019 The weather here has followed the pattern of recent springs by being dry, sunny and warm with cold intervals and frosty nights. Planting out of the Japanese...
View ArticlePremature Flowering in Japanese Indigo
By Ashley Walker Copyright 10th June 2019 This year I’ve had two reports of people in the UK growing Japanese Indigo from our seeds and experiencing premature flowering in May. I also read with...
View ArticleDevil’s Bit Scabious as a source of indigo?
By Ashley Walker Copyright 15th June 2019 Some years ago I came upon a reference to this bee-friendly and pretty blue flower being a potential source of blue dye in Jean Fraser’s book “Traditional...
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