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Dye Seeds

THE NATURAL DYE GARDEN Natural dyes are both beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. A natural dye garden will give you eco-friendly, natural dye pigments for textiles and yarns, Natural dyes have a unique character – they shimmer beautifully in sunlight and never clash. Growing plants for dyeing is an ancient craft but it is making a comeback. As interest in eco-friendly products and methods grow – it is no surprise that many creative people are planting their own natural dye gardens today. If you are considering creating a dye garden aim by initially growing the three primary colours – blue, red and yellow – from these the full rainbow of beautiful colours will be available to you. Below are a selection of seeds/plants I grow which provide me with immeasurable pleasure – and I hope will inspire you! 18 varieties to choose from. Attractively packaged - making a special gift for the natural dyer.
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Natural Dyes

I love working with natural dyes - keeping an ancient tradition - exploring natural colour and being close to nature. Many people don't ever consider that mass produced clothing dyed with synthetic dyes are dangerous for us and our environment. These chemicals pollute the air and waterways, they can irritate consumers skin - causing allergies and eczema. We can benefit from the healing properties of many plants in different ways - from herbal teas, culinary herbs and infusions and also by transferring plant properties onto our fabric. Making your own natural dyes at home can be done easily - it is so fascinating! If you are not able to grow your own plants for dyeing - below are a selection of natural dyes which will provide you with an amazing range of fantastic colours! All the instructions can be found on our HOW TO pages in the main menu above. Just scroll down the menu to find your selected dye.
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Madder Rhizomes

Madder Rubia Tinctorum – also called Turkey Red The roots of this ancient plant are rich in red alizarin and are the source of a strong red dye. The uniforms of the British Red Coats were dyed with madder root. It is a perennial plant growing to a height of approximately 100cm. It has slender, jointed stems which are covered with short prickly leaves. The flowers are small green/yellow and bell shaped. In the late autumn the seeds turn black and dry out to resemble black peppercorns. Madder can be propagated from seed, root and shoot divisions. 10 madder rhizomes EACH 4 - 6 INCHES IN LENGTH approx weight 400g.