The garden - my main source for natural dyeing

A beautiful bright Easter weekend here and today there is no wind either, a truly beautiful day. 

Despite still battling food poisoning, and the resultant migraine I have managed to get in the garden on each of the last 4 days. It got rather neglected last year and I am trying not to play catch up all this year. 

I was cross with myself as last weekend I ate a hot cross bun without reading the label and that made me poorly. (I had to return to being dairy and onion free again!) this weekend I read the label brought and no mention of milk or cream or butter and I was still poorly although not so bad as the weekend before. 

I am pleased with the progress of the garden, last year we had the bamboo and its roots removed in March, a huge job! Today I completed the planting of two climbers and three trees to fill the spot. I am awaiting one more tree….. so more natural dyeing sources as they get established. On previous days I had cut the lawn/ moss patch and made straight edges on 3 sides of the bed under the apple tree….this looked so much better. The fourth side is going to join up with the side garden as I try and make cutting the lawn an easier job. 

The new bed, one more tree to arrive

I found a tremendous son and father who were apple tree pruning experts so the apple tree is in good shape and I have nearly got the cuttings stored away, some to be used as fire wood when dry and the bark of some to be used for natural dyeing and others for pea sticks etc in the garden. 

I don’t think you can see the sacks hanging at the back, they hold a stock of weld. 

Looking at the veranda 

The bark of apple gives a strong colour and these skeins all started with the basic apple bark colour and then had additives. These were dyed in 2016 and the colours are still strong. They were selected to be in the national exhibition of WSD, when it was held in the south west. 

Dyed with apple bark , left original natural wool colour, second left using apple bark 

At the end of last year I painted the covered veranda which adjoins the garden shed and this afternoon I treated myself to sitting in there. The only sound being bird song, the sun on my legs and able to enjoy the view. 

Looking out from the veranda 

Tomorrow’s job…deal with the  greenfly /whitefly on the roses… the wind has been too strong for me to feed the roses…how did they manage? 

I hope you all have had a lovely Easter too.