Grow it Green: Growing dye plants in your home garden
Matt Hoenig talks with Helen Westergren of the UNH Cooperative Extension at Sanborn Mills Farm about how to grow a dye garden in your home garden.
TAMARA KNOX. WELCOME TO TODAY’S GROW IT GREEN. WE ARE AT SANBORN MILLS FARM HERE IN LOUDON. I’M JOINED BY HELEN WESTERGREN, THE HEAD GARDENER HERE AT SANDHILLS FARM. HELEN, WE’RE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT GARDENING. AND THERE’S SOME REALLY INTERESTING PLANTS THAT YOU CAN TAKE FROM PLANT TO COLOR, ONE OF THEM BEING THE MARIGOLD. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT? YEAH, YEAH. SO HERE AT SANBORN MILLS FARM, WE WORK WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT NATURAL DYE PLANTS PRODUCING DIFFERENT VEGETATIVE MATERIALS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE COLORS ON FABRICS. MARIGOLDS ARE A REALLY EASY ONE, A GREAT ONE FOR THE HOME GARDEN AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY ARE A COMPANION PLANT TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT VEGETABLES THAT YOU MIGHT GROW. SO IT’S AN EASY ONE TO JUST POP IN THE MAIN COLOR COMES FROM THE FLOWER, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE WITH NATURAL DYE PLANTS, AS WE’LL SEE. BUT THE FLOWER HERE IS PRODUCES A REALLY BRIGHT ORANGE AND YELLOW KIND OF ANY RANGE OF THOSE COLORS. ALL RIGHT. SO HELEN, WE HAVE WELD OVER HERE. TELL US ABOUT THIS AND WHAT COLOR THIS MAKES. YEAH. SO KIND OF LIKE WHAT I WAS SAYING WITH THE MARIGOLD. NOT THE COLOR, YOU SEE, IS NOT ALWAYS THE ONE YOU GET. YEAH. WELD IS REALLY THIS WONDERFUL HIGHLIGHTER. YELLOW. THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO HARVEST IT WHEN IT HAS ALL OF ITS ENERGY IN THE TOP OF THE PLANT. BUT EVEN THE BASAL LEAVES THAT COME UP IN LIKE EARLY MARCH OR APRIL ARE A GREAT NATURAL DYE PLANT. YOU CAN GROW TO HAVE SOMETHING EARLY IN THE SEASON, AND OVER HERE WE HAVE MADDER. AND HELEN. THIS IS A VERY GREEN LOOKING PLANT, BUT IT REALLY MAKES A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT COLOR FOR SURE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, MADDER TURNS INTO THIS WONDERFUL RED. IT WAS ACTUALLY A PLANT USED IN THE BY THE BRITISH ARMY TO CREATE REDCOATS. THEIR UNIFORMS WERE MADE OUT OF MADDER ROOT. SO THE ROOT IS WHAT GIVES YOU THE COLOR IN THIS PLANT. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE’LL DIG UP A LITTLE BIT. IT IS A BRIGHT RED COLOR. IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ADVANCED DYER MATERIAL. JUST BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT TO GET IT ABOVE A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO KEEP IT LIKE SIMMERING FOR 37 HOURS OR SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, IT’S A LOT MORE LIKE IDIOSYNCRATIC IN THE WAY THAT IT PRODUCES THE COLOR. BUT YOU CAN GET THESE REALLY BRIGHT, BEAUTIFUL, VIBRANT REDS OUT OF SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A WHOLE LOT. YEAH. IT’S AMAZING. YEAH. AND HELEN OVER HERE, SOME INDIGO. I’M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THIS IS GOING TO MAKE FOR SURE. SO INDIGO WE ALL KNOW BLUE JEANS AND THE COLOR INDIGO. SO UNLIKE THE OTHER PLANTS IN THIS GARDEN WHERE YOU CAN OFTEN JUST TAKE THEM AND PUT THEM IN WATER AND CREATE A SUBSTRATE, INDIGO IS ACTUALLY THE REACTION OF TWO CHEMICALS WITHIN THE LEAF. AND SO YOU HAVE TO IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, LIKE BOND THEM. AND SO OFTEN PEOPLE USE FERMENTATION OR COMPOST TO DO THAT. I’M GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU A BRIEF EXAMPLE TO GET THAT REALLY RICH BLUE THAT WE’RE USED TO. YOU HAVE TO FERMENT IT AND CREATE A REDUCTION BAT. SO YOU’LL SEE A LITTLE BIT STARTING TO HAPPEN ON MY HAND. THERE’S DEFINITELY A BLUE HUE TO IT THOUGH I CAN SEE ALREADY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO YOU CAN TAKE ALL THOSE AMAZING COLORS AND NOW MAKE SOME REALLY IMPRESSIVE DYE OUT OF IT. YEAH, YEAH. GREAT WAY TO EXPERIENCE THE GARDEN. EXCELLENT. HELEN WEST ALTON FROM SANBORN MILLS FARM HERE IN LOUDON. THANKS FOR JOINING US TODAY. AN
Grow it Green: Growing dye plants in your home garden
Matt Hoenig talks with Helen Westergren of the UNH Cooperative Extension at Sanborn Mills Farm about how to grow a dye garden in your home garden.
Updated: 10:25 AM EDT Aug 2, 2025
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Matt Hoenig talks with Helen Westergren of the UNH Cooperative Extension at Sanborn Mills Farm about how to grow a dye garden in your home garden.
Matt Hoenig talks with Helen Westergren of the UNH Cooperative Extension at Sanborn Mills Farm about how to grow a dye garden in your home garden.