Dye Garden update

 

MVTM/Blakeney Project Dye Garden

Hi everyone,

Many thanks to all our participants. Here is where we are at with the garden:

1. The Blakeney Project (food growing initiative associated with the Lanark Hunger Stop) has offered 1000sq.ft. of field space for the garden. Below is an outline of the specifications for use, provided by David Hinks, Blakeney Project coordinator (thank you David et al!):

• The area is at the extreme eastern end of the garden very close to the Rail Trail.

• large open wooden shelter (approx 200 square feet) at that end of the garden and with porta-potty close by. Use of the shelter for will be for workshops and potentially for storage and work space. It is basically right beside the growing area.

• The soil is heavy clay so will probably not be ready to work until early May.

• The site is not locked (other than our larger barn at the west side of the property) so access is not limited. We may have to rethink this if theft/vandalism becomes an issue.

• The site was roto-tilled in the fall. It is currently not divided into growing beds but we (Blakeney volunteers) could help with that.

• Care of the MVTM area would not be integrated with the Food Bank gardens. The MVTM would be responsible for weeding and watering. That being said I believe that some of the Food Bank volunteers would be very interested in volunteering with the MVTM garden team.

2. The list of plants below are recommended for their yield, ease of use and care. The museum will order seeds and start them (soon!).

• If you have any experience with seed starting and seedling care and would like to help, please let me know.

• If you already have some of these plants in your garden and would like to give some to the dye garden, or know of any other dye plants that you can access, please let me know.

 

Next steps:

We will be holding a meeting soon, either virtual or in-person (socially distanced) depending on Covid circumstances. Please review the information in the next pages as I will need your thoughts/ideas/brilliance!

We need more volunteers! If you know anyone who might be interested in helping in any way (gardening, programming activities, cheerleading and beverages) please forward this email to them and/or ask them to contact me.

Thoughts? Ideas? Concerns? Please get in touch! It’s lonely out here and I’d love to hear from you.

Plants recommended for wool:

Annuals

dyer's coreopsis

marigold

scabiosa (pin cushion flower)

Biennials

weld

woad

Perennials

black eyed susan

dyer's chamomile/golden marguerite

lady's bedstraw

madder

tansy

rhubarb (leaves can be used as a mordant)

Japanese maple & Elderberry (both can be used for eco printing)

Proposed Calendar of Activities

Date	Activity	Description	Resources/Notes
Spring	Plant/seed selection and uses: botany and history, First Nations cultivation, and medieval European to industrial period.	Local seed/gardening expert (or possibly guest from Richter’s Herbs, Guildwood ON	See: Seeds/propagation/gardening, botany, first nations/european/colonial horticultural histories, arts/crafts collections at library. Dye bath recipes and artefacts at MVTM.
Late spring	Seed sowing and soil fertility	Potential for seed sowing and composting workshops
Summer	Plant care and interpretation	Interpretive signs identifying the plants and uses/colours achieved
Late summer	Cultivation and preparation of plant material for dyeing.	Possible guests: Textile artist Tania Love, Thea Haines (head of textile department at Sheridan College and natural dye consultant) Zoom presentation. Using plants to make dyes or direct printing	Eco-Printmaking/textile/art making collections at library
Fall	Natural fibre dyeing – wool fleece and cotton	See Late summer
Late fall	Seed harvesting for next year	How to collect and store seeds
Fall/winter	What to do with your dyed material. Contemporary and historical uses	Historical uses lecture. Spinning, knitting, felting, sewing workshops	tie-dye homemade face masks cotton scrunchies yarn for knitting, felting or macrame

SPEAKERS/WORKSHOP HOSTS (Working list/ideas)

Tania Love	Fibre artist/natural dyes		Guest speaker
	Head of Textiles, Sheridan College, textile artist and natural dye consultant	thea.e.f.haines@gmail.com	Plant information and donation, guest speaker

For more info please contact  Melanie m.girdwood@mvtm.ca   * PLease note that this is a summary of Melanie's brochure.   If you are interested in the full text please let me know so I can forward her entire email. Jane.ben.low@gmail.com