plant dyes

Natural Fabric Dyeing: Colorfast vs. Fugitive Dyes From Plants

April 25, 2022 by Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

Last month I mentioned that I’m working with the book A Garden to Dye For to learn more about growing plants that you can use to natural dye fabrics. One of the first important concepts is learning about how well or how long a plant’s color is likely to adhere to the fabric that you’re…

A Garden to Dye For

March 14, 2022 by Kathryn Vercillo Leave a Comment

Several years ago my sister sent me a wonderful gift. She’s one of those people who is so great at picking out the perfect gifts for people. The gift was a book called “A Garden to Dye For.” She also sent me a set of Japanese Indigo seeds grown locally to her area. Somehow, all…

How To Get Free Seeds From The Government by Amanda Blankenship Seeds might seem like a small expense, but any seasoned…
Should I Use Enviro Ice On My Plants? by Kathryn Vercillo Every week, I receive food from Hungryroot. It's a great…
From Trash to Treasure: Transform Shredded Paper Into Garden Gold by Amanda Blankenship Should you use shredded paper as garden mulch? It might…
What Happens to Plants If You Use Enviro Ice on Them? by Amanda Blankenship About a year ago, I wrote our first article about…

The Privacy Hedge Mistake That Can Turn Into a Property Line Dispute

You plant a row of beautiful evergreen shrubs along your backyard fence, imagining the privacy they’ll provide once they fill in. A few years later, your neighbor knocks on your door with a complaint: your hedge is growing into their yard, blocking access to their fence, and dropping debris onto their property. They want you…

Your Neighbor Cuts Branches Off Your Tree — Who’s Responsible if It Dies?

You come home from work and notice something disturbing: your neighbor has cut several large branches off the beautiful shade tree you’ve spent years caring for. They explain that the branches were hanging over their fence, so they had every right to remove them. But weeks later, your tree begins dropping leaves, developing dead limbs,…

Why You Should Think Twice Before Planting Anything Along Your Foundation

That empty strip of dirt along your house might look like the perfect place for hydrangeas, flowering shrubs, or a colorful row of perennials. After all, foundation landscaping is one of the easiest ways to improve curb appeal without spending thousands on a complete yard makeover. But what looks beautiful from the street could create…

Your Garden Soil Looks Like Coffee Grounds — Here’s Why That May Be Bad News

Imagine heading outside to plant a few spring flowers and discovering something strange in your garden bed. Instead of the rich, crumbly soil you’re accustomed to, the surface looks like someone dumped a bag of used coffee grounds across the ground. At first, you might think it’s a good sign because gardeners are constantly told…