Note before reading: This blog was written in 2017, when I was studying for my MA (hence the Harvard referencing!). Where needed, I have edited these posts to correct any factual inaccuracies. This post was last edited Jan 2025.
2025 update: I have been growing natural dyes for 6 years now! If you’d like to learn how to grow your own natural dyes in any space, I am running an Online Dye Garden Planning workshop on February 20th.
Would you like to grow your own natural dye plants next year?
In this online workshop, Ria will introduce you to a range of plants that can be grown for plant-powered colour, and share ways to create a dye garden that works with the space you have available.
Whether you have a windowsill, balcony, garden, allotment or farm, there are dye plants that you can grow. Ria will talk through plant placement, soil and nutrients, and how to make the most of your growing space. They’ll also share dye samples from each plant, demonstrating the range of colours that can be achieved from home-grown dyes.
Ria will share their plans for the third year of growing natural dyes in their North Somerset garden, and explore how previous growing spaces have influenced and informed the development of their current dye garden.
There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions during the session, as well as time for questions at the end.
The workshop will be hosted on Zoom at 7pm GMT on Thursday 12th November. Registration is available up to one hour before the event. Participants will receive the meeting link via email a few days before the workshop.
Unable to make the live session? No problem. You’ll receive the recording and slides afterwards, with 30 days to catch up in your own time.
About Ria
Ria Burns has eight years’ experience growing natural dye plants for their business and holds an RHS Level 2 qualification in Practical Horticulture. They are the author of Dyeing Yarn Naturally, published by The Crowood Press in 2023.
Interested in learning more about growing and working with natural dyes? Take a look at Seed to Skein, Ria’s growing-led natural dye membership community.
CONCESSIONARY DISCOUNT
Students and those on a low wage can save 15% off the ticket price of this or any other workshop using the code CONC15.
Starting next year (2018), I would like to start growing my own dye plants. Jenny Dean's blog is an excellent resource for help with this, and I have the bonus of my mum being a horticulturalist how promises to help! It would require quite a lot of work, but it would mean I would know exactly where the plants had come from, proving its provenance and drastically reducing the carbon footprint of my practice.
I am wondering whether I could make the growing and harvesting process part of my creative work. Carissa Carman has done this, forming the Color Collective with two other artists:
The Color Collective, my collaboration with Sarah Gotowka and Johanna Autin, not only grew plants for natural dyeing but also took on investigations of color through performed actions, temporary architecture, and customized tools. (2015, online)
There was no dyed cloth in the exhibition as the plants were not yet ready - the project is ongoing. Discussing this with fellow artist Rowland Ricketts, he poses the question: "What happens when the process is the motivator instead of the product?" This is a really interesting idea, and is demonstrated in Ricketts work, where he displays indigo plants next to indigo dyed cloth.
Both artists work is very exciting and I am keen to do further research. I also can't wait for winter to be over, so I that I can start working on my own dye garden!
References:
Carman, C and Ricketts, R. (2015) Does it Matter? Process and Product in Contemporary Natural Dye Practices [Online] Available from: http://www.artpractical.com/feature/does-it-matter-process-and-product-in-contemporary-natural-dye-practices/ [Accessed 10 December 2017].
Dean, J. (2017) The Dyer's Garden. [Online] http://www.jennydean.co.uk/category/the-dyers-garden/ [Accessed 10 December 2017].