Update

Well, the last of the garden is in. I planted the safflower, and hopi red amaranth yesterday. Good thing, because we got a nice rain last night, and then again today for a short while this am. I'm working on fiber prep nightly. The hopi sunflowers are likely going to turn out to be a bust. Turns out they're a fave of the local wild rabbit population. I tried putting cages around them, but either the rabbits are HUGE, or I don't have any future in the caging flower industry, because they seem to get to them anyway. (I have floating row cover over broccoli and brussel sprouts, but it wont work for sunflowers for obvious reasons. The only ones not being eaten are the ones surrounded by string beans. Perhaps the cover has protected them. I doubt unless the few that remain a) survive and b) produce a HUGE amount of seeds I'll have enough to use.

On a happier note, I've discovered that the unknown seedlings in my plant tray were madder. I have about 15 plants that appeared from what I thought was a dead tray. I'd only been watering it because there were 2 or 3 yellow bleeding heart starts (all of whom died). So, I've potted them up to the next tray level, and we'll see where they go. If I can keep them alive through the winter, then I'll try planting them out next spring. No way will they be sturdy enough to survive otherwise.

About half the cotton survived the transition out doors, and of them, only a few are producing new growth yet. I need to work on patience.

The wild flower garden is growing MADLY! I may even get dye materiels out of it this season!

Live well and dye happy,

Leah (who will take pictures as soon as #1 son takes all the graduation photos off my storage card.)

In My Garden

Hi Readers. The garden is growing like crazy. I got the cosmos in. I also got a nice start of peppermint (recalling the lovely bronzy-green another dyer was able to obtain. The Burgandy wine dyed alpaca locks are dying. I got a nice medium lavender after washing. It required that I heat the bath for the color to really take.

I haven't been doing all that much in the last day or two. The broom didn't survive the rainstorm. Pitty that. It was such a pretty plant. I seem to have a chipmunk a/o a mole problem too. I didn't spray with nematodes and the little burrowers are gorging themselves. It doesn't seem to be damaging the plants, and at least I won't have lots of Japanese beetles. I'm definitely feeling the whole 'wheel of life' thing right now

Milkweed is getting ready to flower. After that, it will be time to harvest. Queen Annes Lace is still growing, with no signs of blossoms yet. Red cabbages are starting to form.

Today my 2nd child graduated high school. Like his sister before him he graduated Suma cum laude. Saluditorian for his class. He leaves on the 23rd of this month for the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

Japanese Indigo has finally been planted out in the Garden

At long last the japanese indigo seedlings that I started from seed have made it to the garden. Last year, I didn't get the seeds early enough to start, so I just planted directly in the garden. I couldn't differentiate the seedlings from the weeds, and ended up with absolutely nothing. So, this year I started well in advance, planting seeds, and potting up 2 times before finally setting some 6-7 inch tall (some with branches) seedlings in the garden. The ones that were smaller, I still planted, but not in the main row.

Now, the seedlings are getting a nice drink from safely under their floating row cover to help them settle in and avoid shock. I'll keep them under row cover for 1-2 weeks, by which time they've hardened, and should be ready to go for broke.

Cotton survived planting out. I see some new leaves on some of the plants already. The wild flowers are 8" tall and growing like crazy. Its sunny now, having finally stopped raining!

Here are a few pics to share.

So much to do!

So much to do. My daughter is coming home for a visit from college. My son is leaving for the Air Force Academy. My stepson is enrolled in a college class to get him ready for senior AP Physics, and my youngest is off to camp. Work makes home seem calm! It's in the midst of all this that I'm thankful and appreciative to have my garden, spinning and knitting. I planted out a tray of dark orange marigolds, and a tray of purple opal basil today. I weeded and staked and got sweaty and dirty, and above all, relaxed. (That is until I discovered I'd sat on ants and was getting bitten to pieces. The bed is ready for the hopi red dye amaranth and the japanese indigo. I'd plant out today, but i need to get some floating row cover to protect the young seedlings while they acclimate. Cotton is adjusting well.

Here are a few pictures of the wild flower plot.

I just can't get Madder to grow!

I've tried 3 times. Of the hundreds of plants I've grown there are exactly 2 I cant seem to grow. Lima beans, and Madder. The beans my husbeast is going to have to live without. (All the "madder" plants I was so prowd of turned out to be black hollyhocks). So, I'm going to admit my failure and buy plants (sold by horizonherbs.com). They're supposed to be hardy to zone 4 with mulch, and I'm a 4b or a 5. So, I'm placing my order (for 3 plants, and 3 packets of My Lady's Bedstraw). I've got to get the indigo planted this weekend. I don't want it to bound up in the pot. Some of the larger plants have already started to branch! I'll get photos tonight or tomorrow.

Welcome to my blog Fiberdrunk, I've been following yours for ages. I'm honored you will be following mine!

Live well, and dye happy,
Leah

Progress Report

It would be wonderful if I could plant my seeds, wait say, a week, and have my mature plants up and producing for an extra long harvest. Alas, that doesn't seem to be the case. Yesterday, I planted the Sulfur Cosmos, plowed and weeded. (picture 1) The Hopi Black Dye Sunflowers are up. You can see them between the 2 rows of green beans, and on the far right (other side of the path). (Picture 2) I finally transplanted the green cotton seedlings into the garden. I'll try and take some pictures of the wild flower garden tomorrow.