A splash of colour with our new dye garden

Ever wondered what people used to use in Scotland to colour their fabrics? We have been working with horticultural student Julia Herzog in search of traditional dye plants of Scotland with an aim to create a native dye garden of our own here at RSPB Loch Leven. This week we began installing the garden which will be used for education in the future; I’m excited to see what we make. Many plants which we may think of as native – including nettles and rhubarb – come from further afield. Even woad which is famous for making a deep blue from its leaves is originally from the steppe and desert zones of the Caucasus. After careful planning with our ecologist we have selected a range of plants which have the potential to give us red, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, brown and blue. Watch this space...