Natural dyer teaches beginners to harvest hues at home
Bethany Hebbard sows indigo, woad, sulfur cosmos, and other natural dyes on her farm. (contributed photo)
While most gardeners nurture ornamental blooms and heirloom veggies, Bethany Hebbard sows her backyard with color, cultivating indigo, madder, weld, cosmos, and other dye plants to turn plain fibers into vibrant textiles.
“Natural dyeing offers a faithful alternative to the wasteful systems that produce most of our clothing,” says Hebbard. “Hope begins with the work of our own hands.
Her interest in natural dyeing began in college, when a roommate introduced her to A Dyer’s Garden by Rita Buchanan. “I read it cover to cover, captivated by the idea that you could draw rich and lasting colors from so many plants,” Hebbard recalls. But it wasn’t until a decade later — after she married her husband, a permaculturist — that Hebbard brought her fascination to life.
Now settled on a suburban homestead near Greensboro, Hebbard spends her days teaching others how to grow and use dye plants. Chief among them is Japanese indigo, a reliable source of blue that thrives in the Southeast.
According to Hebbard, indigo germinates whether started indoors or directly sown into the soil. The plants prefer consistent moisture and, when pinched back, grow into bushy, three-foot-tall stands. “In North Carolina, you can harvest indigo twice, if not three times,” Hebbard says, noting that the leaves can be used fresh or processed for pigment.
Mountain gardeners may see shorter growing seasons compared to their Piedmont counterparts, but indigo still thrives at higher elevations. For those in cooler climates, woad — a brassica relative of cabbage — provides another source and shade of blue. (Hebbard will share her knowledge with Western North Carolina growers at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair in late October.)
Madder, a hardy perennial that yields terracotta reds and coral pinks, requires a bit more patience. “Traditional wisdom says to let madder grow at least three years before harvesting any roots,” says Hebbard. Once mature, the roots can be chopped and dried for future use, providing a steady supply of color.
Other easy starter crops include sulfur cosmos, which yields bright orange dye, and weld, long prized for its buttery yellow dye. Both reseed easily and need little care once established.
But not every plant in the dye garden is grown for pigment. Some, like soybeans, play a behind-the-scenes role.
“Soybeans are a very useful plant for supporting the dye process,” says Hebbard. “Soybean flour and calcium hydroxide can make a dye-resist paste that can be used to pattern indigo-dyed cloth.”
Hebbard has also begun experimenting with sweetleaf, a deciduous tree whose leaves accumulate alum, a mordant (dye fixer) that’s traditionally imported from overseas. “My two sweetleaf trees are growing well, and I’m collecting their leaves as they fall,” she says.
As for harvests, Hebbard says abundance is the only certainty in a dye garden. Even a modest patch can overwhelm with leaves, blooms, and roots ready for the dye pot, which is why she always recommends stocking up on cooking equipment.
“Buy every good-sized stock pot you see at thrift stores and yard sales,” she says. “Before long, you’ll be filling them with rainbow brews and bright experiments.”
Bethany Hebbard will teach “Growing a Dye Garden” on Sunday, Oct. 26, 1-4pm at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair held at the WNC Agricultural Center (761 Boylston Hwy., Fletcher). The $95 class includes a 20-page handbook and a packet of dye seeds. For more information and the full three-day schedule of activities, see saffsite.org.