And so from Easter bonnets to Easter eggs. The lack thereof so far and the need to dye some and make an Easter tree.
I did a whole feature on dyeing eggs a few years ago for a book that I then transferred to an online feature for Gardens Illustrated, which then comes out each year. Loved getting stuff shot professionally for that as the images are so beautiful and I did a lot of prep, which really reignited my love of natural dyeing.
Interesting that it’s so popular now as when I first learned techniques at school and then at art college in the mid nineties it was kind of considered old hat and I kind of paid attention but didn’t at the same time. The emphasis seemed to be way more on the chemical reactions and the mordants at the time rather than the ethnobotanical and intuitive qualities that really make it what it is.
As we don’t have a kitchen available at the moment any egg dyeing intentions may all fall off the masterplan wagon with a loud crash although we could do some basic onion skin ones in a pan on the camping stove outside…
Lovely chatting to my friend Jess about it this morning as we surveyed an allotment space she’s getting to use as a flower growing plot. Also talking tulips, herbs, hydrangeas and dried flowers, and our imminent project at the Garden Museum’s Herbival in June. So happy that my work is in the botanical world and that I have a similarly passionate plant-loving friend. Couldn’t ask for a better job.