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plantanarchy · 5 years

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the audubon society plants list finally loaded kids let’s do a brief (haha) cold medicine induced analysis of what the heck they’re recommending for my local area (western PA) and whether it could grow in my shitty yard (if i’m unfamiliar with it i’m skipping it just to be fair)

It’s alphabetical by common name I guess so ok i’m doing this under a cut I supppose

Allegheny Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens) - this plant is indeed one you see kinda often...... on the very edge of the Allegheny river literally growing as a marginal plant. not ideal unless you got a pond or live in a swamp

Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) - this is one you see growing in the woods near swamps so nope, not in this drought hellscape of a yard

Alternate-Leaf Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) - another understory moisture loving tree/shrub... next

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) - again, moisture loving woodland tree. European Beeches are overall more drought tolerant so if you see a beech in the city or suburbs, it’s probably not an American Beech. also, in my area, you can’t find an American Beech that isn’t suffering from Beech bark disease unfortunately

American Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) - These are good plants and grow all along the shady woodsides here. Same issue though, they like moisture and at least partial shade. And the ornamental varieties you can find at garden centers tend to be European hybrids with fancy leaves

American Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) - shadey woodland lad again. They’re also very very weedy idk that anyone would want this in their garden.

American Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) - a good plant. still needs moist soil but I think would probably be ok. It looks really cool planted near grasses because it blooms in fallish

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) - finally a prairie plant!! it’s my boy big bluestem. unfortunately, it can look kinda wild and weedy for a suburban garden unless you do it right.

Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) - handsome, good, nice berries, good fall foliage, excellent choice, prefers full sun but still likes it a bit moist and will drop all its bottom leaves and turn fall colors early if you underwater it oops i definitely never was responsible for that at work with b&b aronias.

Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) - oh word we got these in our garden and the birds actually like the red ones better rip

Black-Eyed-Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) - that’s right babey it’s Susan. this baby will reseed all day in sun or shade and birds love that shit. downfall is the species plant is prone to rust and cultivars do a bit better.

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - Good and Wholesome friend. I don’t recommend this as baby’s first milkweed though because they can be slow to establish and kinda disappointing and small and if you get caterpillars on it the first year, it may not survive.

Cardinal-Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) - my mom actually has managed to keep a Lobelia alive in the shadiest, wettest part of her garden but listen...... this is a marginal or swamp plant. Put it in the swamp.

Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) - it’s the bae

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) - do not try to buy this as an established plant at a garden center, they will look at you funny and point at the roadsides. Either wait until fall seedpod time and go harvest some or buy some seeds online

Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) - I had no idea this was native actually but it’s cool because it gets big white ORBS

Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) - it’s got stems. it’s got berries. it can grow wherever. what more could you want??? english holly who?????

Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) - actually often confusingly hybridized with European Yarrows so no one knows whether they’re ~true~ natives or not. Who cares they will survive anything except a swamp. They will live in a drought ass no topsoil suburban neighborhood like a CHAMP. they were made for this.

Dense Gayfeather (Liatris spicata) - just including this one because it sounds like a Good Omens joke

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) - put that baby tree back in the moist woodlands where it came from or so help me

Gray-Head Mexican-Hat (Ratibida pinnata) - ayyy prairie plant, though this isn’t the species you commonly see for sale at garden centers and this one is decidedly less phallic than R. columnifera so that’s a bummer.

Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) - we half killed this at work because it doesn’t love pot culture or me but someone still bought it all. don’t put this in your dry ass suburban neighborhood or she will hate you too

Northern Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) - i call this myrica pensylvanica but whatever. birds love it. so do japanese beetles unfortunately

Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) - it’s a sedge

Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) - unlike other columbine, this bitch likes full sun and probably will grow and reseed anywhere

Redbud (Cercis canadensis) - another understory-ish moisture loving tree but a lot of the cultivars do just fine in the middle of sad suburban yards. also good. blooms wherever it wants while nakey.

Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma) - you will only ever find cultivars of this but who knows, they may slightly more mildew resistant for at least a little while

Shag-Bark Hickory (Carya ovata) - big, handsome, looks like it’s seconds away from falling apart at all times. just how i like my men.

Smooth Oxeye (Heliopsis helianthoides) - please let the one in my mom’s yard know that it’s meant to survive dry soils in full sun

Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata) - my favorite bee balm but doesn’t have the Wow factor of M. didyma cultivars. It likes the sun and dry though

Spotted Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens capensis) - wholesome friend! But no one in their right mind would plant this on purpose in their garden also it would be wilt-city out here in the drought ass topsoil-less surburbs. these babies used to grow between the greenhouses and I used to water them like some kinda of bleeding heart

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) - she can actually live pretty well in the middle of drought ass suburban yard and spreads easily by seed but expect half the lower leaves to yellow and drop off by midsummer. poor darling. put her back in the swamp. This is the most reliable commerically available milkweed you will find because it takes to pot culture way better than other milkweeds (rip all the butterfly weed horticulture land kills yearly)

Sweet-Bay (Magnolia virginiana) - more like sweet bae am I right???? actually she wouldn’t live in my yard. needs some afternoon shade and moist, rich soil.

Sweet-Scented Joe-Pye-Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) - It’s Joe!!!!! Will grow all over. Will get 7 feet tall with massive flowers just because he can. Will grow in a swamp, will grow on a hillside, will grow beside Wal-Mart. Joe don’t care. I still call it Eupatorium because I resist change and actually I’m not 100% sure if this or E. fistulosum that is most common around here.

Tall Tickseed (Coreopsis tripteris) - coreopsis is a really popular genus to see on native plant lists but there aren’t many native to my area of Pennsylvania and you won’t find anything but C. verticillata or C. lanceolata cultivars in garden centers. BUt apparently this bitch can get NINE FEET TALL i’m swooning

Trumpet-Creeper (Campsis radicans) - ok, i’d avoid planting this baby unless you know exactly what you’re doing. she may be native but she can and will do her best to eat your home and foundation and your garden in general. she will do her rhizomey best to runner away from you into the wilderness. fun to grow across a pergola though but she will EAT your TREES and your HOME

Virginia-Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) - ????? no one is going to deliberately plant this, Audubon Society

Wand Panic Grass (Panicum virgatum) - this is why I think making these lists with common name first is so hilarious because what????? I know this as “Switchgrass” which sounds nice and normal wtf is a Wand Panic Grass. that’s what i’m going to call bad bottom dysphoria episodes from now on

White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) - likes it wet and shaded so wouldn’t do nice in my yard. also why even BOTHER planting this plant unless you’re going to do the cultivar ‘Hot Lips’ (jk probably the white one is more native insects friendly)

Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) - she’s cute and all but if you want a Hydrangea just go full cliche H. paniculata cultivar or nothing. This plant would hate my whole entire yard and then die

anyway, that’s all the plants on the list I felt like rambling about on this fine Tuesday morning. Overall, idk how helpful a list like this would be for first time gardeners, because they would run into the issue of not being able to actually their hands on most of these plants.

Very few on the list would actually be suitable for growing in a new suburban neighborhood or an urban garden. This is an area naturally full of sensitive, woodland, rich, moist soil-loving plants... and unfortunately, those areas are disappearing more and more under new developments and the native pollinators and wildlife are going along with them.

#i really just did that and rambled about a whole lot of plants for no good reason #long post #idk what to tag this as

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josephkitchen0 · 6 years

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Natural Dyes for Wool and Clothing

Natural dyes for wool have been used for hundreds of years. Harvesting plants and extracting the color from the leaves, berries, and flowers is an enjoyable way to gather color today, too. You can plan and plant a home garden that produces not only food but also herbs and fruits that produce intense dye baths. Many weeds that we see growing along roadways were historically gathered as plant dye sources. Once you start down this path, you will look at every plant in a new way.

Harvesting the Natural Dyes for Wool and Cloth

The first step in creating a natural dye for wool, or whatever you hope to add color to, is to gather the plant materials. In some cases, this may be the root of the plant. Choose the blossoms before they begin to wilt and dry on the plant. Some common, easy to find dye sources are pokeberry, goldenrod plant, marigold, turmeric root, crushed acorns, and pomegranates. I am sure once you start to think about it, you will come up with your own favorites list.

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When making your garden vegetables list, consider which vegetables can be used as a natural dye for wool or clothing. Many of the vegetables we enjoy from the garden; such as beets, carrots, and eggplants, may give off some color but won’t have a lasting effect on wool or fiber. These are referred to as fugitive dyes. The color from these plants is hard to make into a colorfast dye.

Goldenrod

While looking for natural color, think about what spices are available. Turmeric root gives off a deep yellow mustard color. Turmeric root can be used from the garden or from the spice cabinet. Used coffee grounds and tea are other examples of dye possibilities right in your kitchen.

Gather quite a bit of the natural dye material. It takes a lot to make a large stock pot of dye. When I harvest pokeberry, I harvest a two-gallon bucket full of berries and stems. There is a lot of color in the stems so there is no need to remove the berries from the stems before making the natural dyes for wool and clothing from the pokeweed plant.

Pokeberry

Making the Dye – Black Walnut Dye

Black walnut dye is made from the hulls of the black walnut. These large green balls fall from the trees in late summer and early fall. The local squirrels go crazy gathering up the inner nut and shell to store for winter. The green hull is left behind. I prefer to collect the whole fruit, gathering the dropped walnut balls in an open metal basket. This basket allows for air circulation and limits mold from growing on the nuts. Laying them out on a screen frame also helps keep mold from forming.

black walnuts

Wear disposable gloves when working with the black walnut as the dye does not wash off your skin. I have found it takes about a week for dye stains to wear off from my fingers! Break the hulls off using a hammer. The green hulls and the more brown, dried hulls can both be used in the dye bath. Use about a quart of broken black walnut hulls to two gallons of water. This will make a deep rich brown dye. Black walnut hulls and bark are rich in natural tannins which act as mordants. There is no need to add additional vinegar or alum to a black walnut dye.

Add the hulls to the dye pot. I prefer to use stainless steel or enamel coated cook pots for my dye batches. I also do not use these same pots for food preparation as some dyes contain toxins. Better to be safe. Local thrift shops, flea markets, and yard sales are good places to pick up used cookware to use for dyeing projects.

Strain out the hulls. I saved them for a second dye bath. Return the dye bath to the stove. It is ready for the yarn or fabric.

Prepare the Wool or Cloth – Mordants and Modifiers

When dyeing wool, yarn, fiber or cloth, first wet the material and soak in a mordant solution to open the fibers. This prepares the fiber to accept the dye color. Simmer the material to be dyed for an hour or two. Mordants are substances used to make the dye colorfast, and keep the color from fading quickly or washing away. Many mordants are metallic but not all of these metallic mordants are ecologically safe. Copper, tin, and chrome are a problem to dispose of safely. Alum, is a commonly found substance and is considered safe in small proportions. Other safe mordants are iron, (think rusty nails), and cream of tartar. Plant-based mordants include tannins from different sources. Acorns and Sumac leaves are good examples of plant-based mordants. Black walnut, pomegranate skin, and acorns have so much natural tannin that you can skip the mordant in the pre-dye bath. When using natural dyes for wool and other fabric, start by soaking the material and using a mordant when necessary.

Safety First

Even when using safe mordants, wearing gloves, a mask and eye protection is recommended. Only work with dyes in a well-ventilated area. Some dyes can produce an irritating or nauseating smell while simmering. These are best handled outside, perhaps on a camp stove. When making natural clothing dye, keep in mind that you are conducting experiments with natural substances. Each dye lot will be slightly different and surprising. Take good notes as you go along, so you can refer back later.

Heat or No Heat when Using Natural Dyes for Wool

Many of the darker dyes are prone to turning brown shades if the dye bath is boiled. Try to keep the heat on a low simmer during the processing time. Pokeberry dye and black walnut dye can be used cold or room temperature. When not using heat, you might want to let the fabric sit in the dye bath overnight for full effect and a good result.

Two different colors from Pokeberry. The top sample result was much browner than I wanted, so I overdyed part of it in a cold dye bath of Pokeberry dye overnight.

Take the thoroughly wet fiber from the presoak squeezing out excess water without wringing the wet wool. Place it in the dye bath. Carefully push it under the surface so that the entire skein or garment is in the dye. If using heat, keep the dye just at a simmering level for about 30 minutes to an hour. Turn the heat off and allow the fiber and the dye bath to cool. Often I will let the yarn sit in the dye overnight.

Should You Use a Modifier?

Modifiers can change the color or the intensity of the color. Iron can be used as both a mordant and a modifier. A small amount in the dye bath can affect the color. You can also have a modifier bath ready to move the fiber to after the dye bath. It is fun to experiment with small test swatches or skeins. Some readily available modifiers are vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, iron, lemon juice or ammonia. I often add a modifier directly to the dye bath. For vinegar, I will normally add up to a quarter cup to a one-gallon dye bath.

Iron was used as a modifier to darken the color from spinach dye. Sample here is after the modifier.

Remove the yarn or fabric from the dye and place in a basin. Gently squeeze out excess dye bath water. Allow to sit for a couple of hours at this point, before rinsing. For some colors, this allows the dye to oxidize, which may add to the colorfastness. It worked beautifully when I was using pokeberry dye so now I use this method for most of the darker colors.

Rinse the yarn or fabric in cool water, being careful to not felt the wool by agitating or wringing. Squeeze out excess water and continue to rinse until the water runs clear.

What Next?

If you are anything like me, you will want to continue making natural dyes for wool and clothing. Have you already decided which dye you want to make first? Let us know in the comments below. Here are some photos of other natural dyes for wool that I have worked on using the yarn from our sheep and fiber goats.

Natural Dyes for Wool and Clothing was originally posted by All About Chickens

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