Nature’s dyes

Yellow occurs in numerous shades in the garden, from golden yellows to flamboyant oranges. Weld (Reseda luteola), also commonly known as dyer’s rocket or dyer’s weed, has been used since medieval times and yields a strong bright yellow dye. Other cottage garden flowers such as hollyhocks, centaurea, dahlias and crocus can produce softer shades of blue, orange and yellow. Onion skins can produce long-lasting dyes ranging from yellows and oranges to brown.

Many garden plants are valued for their beautiful red flowers but the most reliable plant for red dye is madder (Rubia tinctorum) which actually has yellow flowers. It is the long roots of the madder that are the source of its red pigment.

In the 19th century, Glasgow’s industrial scale dyeworks imported natural dyestuffs from across the world, including vast quantities of madder from Europe. Madder was an essential ingredient in the creation of Turkey Red, the distinctive bright red used to dye or print cotton textiles. Indigo was brought from South Asia to create the distinctive blue of Kilmarnock bonnets (among other things) and logwood was imported from the West Indies to create shades of violet, grey and black.

The garden at Weaver’s Cottage is now a haven for visitors. Next time you visit look out for the plants and plant labels that help tell the history of this beautiful place.

The garden interpretation at Weaver’s Cottage was made possible through a generous donation from the Incorporation of Bonnetmakers and Dyers of Glasgow.