It’s been a while….

It’s been a long time since we posted on the blog and luckily this is all down to being very busy within the company and other exciting events taking place.

The garden has flourished in the first year and we have some really exciting dyes from the marigolds and dahlias.  Purple flowers coming out with yellow & orange dyes that are really beautiful.

 

 

This year sees us expanding the plot and trying out some cottage garden favourites including cornflowers, corncockles, lupins and french marigolds.  Also had some fab sounding “Blaze of Glory” which had an exciting start to life with needing to be in a greenhouse – having nothing built we could use, they spent a good few weeks being driven around in my car as it became a “make shift” greenhouse.  Needless to say there were a few funny moments when giving people lifts!!!  Sadly despite all this nurturing the slugs and snails seemed to love them once planted in the garden and they got chewed to bits.

 

Here’s some highlights from the most recent flowers to be grown and will be used in future collections!!!

 

 

 

Purple Lupin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Beauty…?

There’s not a lot to see in the garden at the moment as it is just tiny seeds and a whole load of mud.  While waiting for the seeds to germinate and for some weeds to show their faces, I decided to start looking at other jobs around the allotment. 

 

Although small the garden really needed a path down the middle to make it easier to weed and also harvest the plants.  Originally I was going to use pebbles but the opportunity came up to use some recycled bricks which fits in really well with the organic/eco ideas behind the garden.  There’s a couple of abandonned allotments down the bottom that are now used as a dumping ground by some people and although most of rubbish is useless, my dad spotted some bricks from a wall that had been knocked down that would be perfect.  It seems there were a few people with the same idea as the bricks were disappearing fast.  Luckily a few barrowloads later we had enough to lay out a little path.  Think the guys from the other allotments were quite surprised to see a lass carting a wheelbarrow about.  It still needs a lot more work but at least the basic path is in place until I have more time to lay it properly.

 

Garden Path made from Recycled and Reclaimed bricks

My bro & dad have been busy on other parts of the allotment trying to tame the wilderness with his Fathers Day present!!!  It’s the only time I’ve known my bro down the allotment and he was strimming the weeds despite his hayfever… boys and their toys eh…?

Gareth busy road testing my dad's new present

The Boys fighting the Weeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The top part of the allotment is still a jungle and the weeds are now as tall as me (if not taller).  It’s quite magical in some ways, like being a small kid again with plants towering over your head.  There’s other hidden plants coming into flower too and you often forget with our carefully cultivated and pruned gardens just how beautiful wild flowers can be.

Wild Roses growing in the allotment

 

 The wild roses are in great big bushes around the allotment and smell beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild poppies in the allotment

 

 Clumps of bright red poppies grow amongst the vegetables

Now’s the time to be patient…?

After many weeks of back breaking work to dig over the soil (which is like concrete) and remove the bramble, thistle and nettle roots and lots of horsetail, I finally got to sew my seeds today and plant my plants!!!  I’m so excited and this is going to be the hard bit for me – being patient and waiting for them to grow.  Any of my family will tell you that I’m horrific at waiting for things.  Personally I blame it on being unable to control my excitement, usually involving presents in the run up to Christmas and that sort of thing.

 

 The Allotment Garden before Work Started

 It’s taken a lot longer than I anticipated to dig it all over, so a bit late sowing the dahlias and the broom has already flowered but at least they’re in and hopefully a bit happier than being stuck in a pot.  I just hope they grow ok and aren’t devoured by too many hungry birds and insects.  Would have been completely stuck without Ma & Pa, who helped to dig the ground over and were on hand with tips and advice.  Even Poppy dog tried to help – though I don’t know if crashing through my dad’s beans or ripping up stakes and running of with bits of twine can be classed as helping…?

 

Poppy Dog taking a well earned break

Plants put into the garden are Corn Marigolds, Lawn Chamomile, Broom, Fennel, Sunflowers (Hazy Sunshine & Ruby Sunset) and Dahlias.  Some of the sunflowers are red so have no idea what color they will produce when used for dye and I also have Golden Rod already in the garden to use as well.  Had an interesting conversation with a historical textile dyer in York the other week who told me you can get a fab brown dye from Chard.  Pa has just put some in his allotment section and may have to pinch some when he’s not looking.  I can’t wait for the sunflowers to bloom and although the dahlias are in a little late I hope that they will be ok.

Dye Garden Dug over & Planted Up

 

Yep… I know it just looks like a patch of mud (and you would be right) but hopefully this will be full of beautiful plants very soon.

 Watch this space……….

The Start of the Adventure!!!

Well… today was the start of the adventure into growing and nurturing the dye garden.  The allotment is in a bit of state and it’s amazing how quickly nature can reclaim the land if given free rein.  The entire day was spent removing all of the overgrown brambles, nettles and grass.  I’ve got a lot more work to do over the next few days before it is even at the point of being able to plant anything.

It is going to be a combination of sources for the planting:

• bought seeds are Sunflowers, Dahlias, Marigolds and chamomile
• bought plants including fennel and dyers broom
• donated plants from my gran are in the form of some lovely flowering marigolds
• plants already in the overgrown allotment, include golden rod that will be rescued

My hands have blisters, my back is killing me and I’ve got an itchy arse where I sat on a load of stinging nettles but it’s been a really rewarding and enjoyable day.