Saturday 4 April 2020

Free Woad, Weld and Other Dye Plant Seeds

Free Woad, Weld, Madder, Coreopsis Tinctoria, Japanese Indigo and Impatiens Balsamina Seeds


Now all gone, thanks everybody 
Small envelopes of dye plant seeds saved from my garden last autumn are available for free with free postage, because I shan't be taking them to talks and workshops this spring and would be delighted to find them good homes. UK only, offer ends when the seeds run out.
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I practically choked on my tea when I saw the envelopes. "However did you find those dye plant seeds?"
My companion, Elinor Gotland just smiled and shrugged.
"Perseverance, Beaut. With all those stacks of boxes you've got piled up, I knew it was odds on there'd a few seeds saved in one of them."

I moved house last winter. 
Truth be told, I have still not entirely unpacked and was not in the least prepared for visitors. In practice, the whole virus crisis has caused me only the most minor of inconveniences. When Elinor appeared on my new doorstep, masked and gowned in sterile whites, my first thought was that himself must have dropped off another loo roll. Then the swathed shape swanned indoors demanding tea.
"You wouldn't believe what a journey I've had. Eerie, the quiet on the streets, absolute nightmare finding a cab across Paris to the Eurostar. Feels like I just caught the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City."


Brushing aside COVID -19 precautions as not applicable to sheep, my companion gave me a hug and ensconced herself in the spare room. Next morning she returned home from Asda with a clanking bag of shopping and a sack of seed compost.
"Life's little essentials for me and a gift for you, Beaut. Probably not peat free, but fair play, needs must. Still reusing those old plastic seed trays?"
"Well, that's very kind but I'm not really organised for gardening, Elinor. I mean, there's no greenhouse here, just a north facing yard. In any case, I didn't buy a 2020 biodynamic calendar and I've no idea when the moon will be right."
Elinor tipped the woad seeds into a jar of water.
"Give the silicles 24 hours to soak, isn't that what you used to do? We can sow your seeds tomorrow."
Next day I did find some small seed trays, filled them with damp compost and sure enough, the little yellow woad seeds were easy to strip out of the middle of their sodden silicles. It didn't take long to lay a dozen out in a grid, cover them with a dusting of compost, press it down to get them in good contact with the soil, then label and wrap the tray in clingfilm.




Once in the swing of it, I carried on sprinkling trays with Coreopsis tinctoria, Impatiens balsamina and Japanese Indigo, none of which need to be soaked in advance and even remembered that weld seeds need maximum light and should be surface sown without any top covering of compost. 

Looking at the filled trays, my cheery mood evaporated.
"Oh hell and damnation, Elinor. The only room in this house that gets much direct sun hasn't any windowsills." 
"What a good job you've got all those boxes. Shove them over to the light, right up against the wall, don't stand there like a lemon."
That was five days ago and things seem to be working out. The Coreopsis sprouted after three days and this morning, when I turned the tray in which seedlings are already stretching for the light, I noticed that the Impatiens seeds are also germinating. A whole new dye plant garden remains a long way off, but as a start, I think this is good enough.



15 comments:

  1. I would love some seeds..but must get the fruit and veges going first! Are you still at Ogmore? We must call by when I visit the Oily One in Bridgend and the Carpenter and family near Blackwood

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    1. I would usually be at Crafts by the Sea in Ogmore, only we have had to shut for the time being. Soon as the restrictions are lifted, we shall be back and I'd love to meet you.

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  2. So glad to see you back, though you're going to find it hard without a garden at all. Hope all's well with you and yours.

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    1. Thanks Freyalyn, all is well though change is difficult. The back yard here has a patio and a grass/weed patch, so I do have space to make a garden and I have brought a good few pots with me.

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  3. Good to hear from you and Eleanor

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  4. Dont know why my above comment came up as Unknown - international woman of mystery, thats me lol

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  5. nice to see you back - and still into dye gardening:) I am still waiting for my seeds (from germany), haven't grown any for the last few years, but wanted to start again. weather is dreadful anyway, so I don't mind waiting a few days longer:)

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    1. Hiya, nice to be back. I may regret starting these seeds indoors if it goes cold again and I can't get them outside - just have to wait and see.

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    2. yes, I always have that problem with tom seeds:( if I start too early they go leggy, if I do it late - I have the first ripe toms in september:( a heated greenhouse would be nice *dreamingoff*

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  6. Seeds the hope of a future! :)

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  7. So glad to hear (read - to be more precise) from you again! I have been missing your posts from last August and was afraid you might have fallen ill. I wish you much happiness in your new home!

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  8. Vegetables Matter17 April 2020 at 15:02

    Such a delight to see you blogging again! I recently started seedlings as well, though so far only one dye plant--Hopi Black Sunflowers. Just ordered some other seeds from my local wonderful seed place which pays special attention to dye plants. I usually see them each year at my local fiber fair, but as it had to cancel this year, I did an online order.

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  9. Yeah, you're back!!!!!!! So glad to see/read you and hear of Elinor's thoughts again :)

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  10. last years woad plants are flowering, can I still use them for dying? Also can you recomend a basic book on dying with garden plants? thanks

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