Cottage Dye Garden

Hello lovelies! Welcome to today’s cozy gardening session. I have always wanted to create a beautiful, sustainable garden full of colors—both for the pure joy of watching plants grow but also for creating natural dyes which I can use for yarn and fabric.

The Plan

Today, I’m planting a dye garden, well I’m making a start on it. I live in the outer suburbs of Melbourne which has a mild and temperate climate, perfect for growing a variety of dye plants.

What Are Dye Plants?

Dye plants are any plants that can be harvested to create natural colour which is applied to fabrics, fibers, or yarn. These plants contain pigments in their roots, leaves, flowers, or bark that can be extracted and used to make dye stuff. What makes these plants special is that they offer eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives to synthetic dyes, which are often harmful to the environment.

A dye garden offers so many benefits. Not only do these plants create beautiful, natural colors, but they can also support wildlife, such as pollinators like bees and butterflies. Plus, many of these plants are hardy and help create a positive microbiome which will help my food plants grow too. Growing a dye garden is an excellent way to practice sustainable crafting

Let’s get started by prepping, the first thing I want to do is loosen it up a little bit. I have already added fresh compost to this section and then I am going to add pelletised dynamic lifter to really get my new plants going.

I’ve got a few different seeds and seedlings to plant today. The first ones we’re starting with are the plants I bought from Mudbrick Herb Cottage. I bought some plants that are rare and very hard to find in the average nursery. I got woodruff, tansy, indigo, Rue (Jackmans blue) and Madder.

Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria)

Growing Info:  Indigo plants like a little warmth, so I’m planting this in a different section of the garden which gets more sun. Indigo can grow quite tall (up to 1 meter), so I need to plant it with enough space.

• Dyeing Info: Indigo is famous for producing deep, rich blue hues. Unlike many other dye plants, indigo requires a fermentation process to create its blue pigment, which is found in the leaves. Indigo plants are native to most places on earth, however, the chemical they contain for the dyeing process is strongest in Japanese indigo which is why I am planting this variety. The native Australian variety has almost no pigment in it at all which is unfortunate as I prefer to stick to natives when possible. Dyers Woad is another alternative to Indigo, it also contains Indigofera, and I will be planting this come spring.

Madder (Rubia tinctorum)

Madder is one of the oldest used dye plants and produced colours ranging from red, to pink and even orange.

Growing Info: Madder is a perennial plant that thrives in Melbourne’s climate. It prefers a sunny spot and can grow in a variety of soil types. Madder is particularly special because the roots of the plant are what produce the dye. It is a long wait to harvest however, needing 3 full growing years before it can be used for dye.

Dyeing Info: Madder root produces a beautiful red dye, often associated with traditional "rose" or "ruby" tones. The plant has been used for thousands of years to make red.

Rue (Ruta graveolens)

Rue is native to the Mediterranean region but can be successfully grown in a variety of climates, including temperate areas like Melbourne. It thrives in sunny, well-drained soil and is drought-tolerant once established.

Rue is not one of the most commonly used dye plants, but it can create beautiful soft greenish-yellow shades when used for natural dyeing..

Rue was also thought to have mystical or protective properties and was used in certain folk practices. It was often planted in gardens as a protective herb, believed to ward off evil spirits or protect against diseases like the plague.

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

Tansy is a hardy perennial herb that has been used for centuries in herbal medicine, as a natural insect repellent, and as a dye plant. Tansy likes a slightly alkaline soils so may get moved to the back garden to be with some of my other alkaline loving plants. It’s another plant which helps to repel pests and can even be used as a moth repellent inside when it has been dried.

Tansy is known for producing vibrant yellow and golden dyes though the colour can be manipulated with add ins and mordants.

Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Woodruff is a fragrant perennial herb native to Europe and parts of Asia, known for its sweet, hay-like scent. In traditional European herb gardens, woodruff has been used for centuries not only for its aromatic properties but also as a source for natural dyes. The plant is especially appreciated for its delicate white flowers and the subtle yellow-green tones it can produce when used in dyeing.

Woodruff prefers somewhere cool and shady so I have selected a section of this bed towards the back closest to the fence with some of my larger rose bushes for added protection. This is a plant I need to keep an eye on to make sure it doesn’t spread. I will need to keep on top of deadheading any flowers so the seed doesn’t spread.

I also picked up some extra seedlings from bunnings including Cornflowers and Marigolds. Both if these beauties are great for dyeing fabric. I love planting marigolds because they attract bees and butterflies, and help keep pests away, which is a nice bonus.

Finally I added some extra seeds in. I planted flax which unfortunately isn’t the variety that makes fibre but the flowers can be used for dyeing. I also have a few seeds from Southern Harvest, another small aussie company. From this selection I have planted some Yarrow and lady’s Bedstraw. We are in the very middle of our hot, dry summer, so planting anything else would be futile. Even these may come to nothing because of how dry everything gets. Luckily the seeds will last until spring kept safe and dry in my seed collection.

There are native Australian dye stuff I can use, such as Eucalyptus and Acacia, but these are easy to find when foraging in the bush rather than producing them from my own garden. Though I have read that bush tomato roots make a wonderful red pigment, so that might be a dye plant of the future.

Natural dyes have been produced by humans for thousands upon thousands of years. Even our earliest textiles archeology contains evidence of dye. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the invention of synthetic dyes significantly reduced our use of them. Synthetic dyes were produced on mass despite their cheap production costs, they have always had a significant cost to the environment and to our health. Natural dyeing never disappeared entirely. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, natural dyes continued to be used by traditional textile artisans, especially in regions where industrial dyeing wasn’t widespread. For example, indigo dyeing remained a major craft in India and Japan. Exploring the history of natural dyeing, has helped me gain an appreciation not just for the plants themselves, but for the ancient practices and traditions that connect us to the natural world.

And that’s it! My dye garden is officially planted. I’ve packed in so many beautiful, vibrant plants that will provide me with natural dyes for yarn and fabric projects in the future. It’s so exciting to think about all the colours i’ll be able to make.

Thank you so much for spending this time with me today. I hope this little session brought some joy to your day. Gardening, even just in a small patch, is such a nice way to feel connected to the earth and to nature. If you have any suggestions of other plants I should be adding to my dye garden please add them to the comments, I would LOVE your recommendations.