Do you want to learn how to dye yarn or fabric with plants you have planted, tended and harvested? Growing your own dye plants allows you to be connected to the colors you use in an intimate and thoughtful way.
During the first part of this two hour workshop, natural dyer, weaver, and spinner, Michelle Parrish will introduce a variety of plants we can grow to produce natural dyes. She will discuss the annual and perennial plants commonly used in natural dyeing, the colors produced, and what is needed to successfully grow your own natural dyes. This program will offer an understanding of how to successfully start a dye garden, including planning, plant selection, starting plants from seed, planting starts, and nurturing healthy plants throughout the season. The second portion of the workshop will be a hands-on planting party, complete with seeds, starts, and a freshly prepared garden bed.
Barbara’s prolific flowers amidst the tomatoes and basil
Over the summer, Fabric of Life was excited to partner with ML Altobelli (she/her) to offer a season long Understanding Your Garden program series. One participant, Barbara Blumenthal, gives us a first-hand account of her experience, and how she directly used her newly learned skills to revitalize her garden.
Barbara says, “This year’s Fabric of Life gardening sessions with ML really transformed my approach to gardening! Even without implementing every bit of advice – which I hope to do more of in 2022 – my yields and the quality of my produce increased enormously.”
Quite a bountiful harvest from just one day in August, all from Barbara’s garden
She has been a home gardener for about 40 years and has been reasonably satisfied with her vegetable harvests. In 2021, she said she decided to make some changes. She began in early spring by laying down cardboard and mulch hay to both nourish her garden and keep down the weeds. She then joined us for our season-long gardening series, which took place both in-person and virtually.
“The most fun sessions, not surprisingly, were the two in-person ones at the Farmhouse in Shelburne, in May and October. ML’s enthusiasm, breadth of knowledge and experience, and commonsense approach to gardening were so helpful and inspiring.”
Early November view of Barbara’s garden, all tucked in for the winter
And inspiration is something Barbara has certainly found through this program! “This fall, I’ve completely redesigned my small garden, digging paths which I filled with wood chips.” Barbara has also changed the structure of her growing area, “establishing slightly raised garden beds, applying mineral mix, wood chips, and grass clippings, leaves, and straw for my garden to winter over.” In her excitement to build her garden soils, Barbara says she “bought a cordless, electric lawn mower with a collection bag so I can use more grass clippings to feed my garden. In my husband’s words: I’m obsessed!”
Barbara also shares that she had to work a bit to incorporate the information from our garden series, confiding that “the wealth of knowledge presented was a bit overwhelming at times, but always logical and precise, and the ability to review the videos of all sessions was very helpful. This program has really enriched my gardening life and enabled me to preserve more food for the winter. It’s also been fun to see how the Fabric of Life garden has improved and truly blossomed during the virtual sessions throughout the growing season.”
Every living entity needs to eat – and eat well in order to thrive. This includes you, your family, your community – and the plants and animals that feed you and provide fiber for your textile needs! And you can do something about that… This year, Fabric of Life is introducing the essential skills needed to grow great veggies (and other plants for those pesky pollinators that are so essential) to our community – and you’re invited to come along with us on the journey. For those of you more interested in fiber than food – the quality of any natural fiber you work with is also based on the health of the plants or animals that provide that fiber. It’s a fascinating world under your feet!!
Almost everyone who’s run a home garden has had problems with insects and diseases – ever heard of powdery mildew, blossom end-rot and potato beetles? Did you know that super healthy plants don’t attract insects or diseases? Even marginally healthier plants are resistant to quite a lot! Heck of a concept but true for all living beings. However, just like you can keep your own immune system up with care, you can do the same for all of the plants and animals in your charge. The question is – how to do it!!!!!
Understand Your Garden
We’re going to start with a learning opportunity with the garden here at Fabric of Life (80 Bassett Road) on May 1st at 9:00AM. We’ll learn the strengths and weaknesses of the site we’ve chosen to work with, learn its history, find out what we need to do to increase its capacity to produce great food and start the work of the growing season. This work will continue throughout the season with virtual program hours at the critical points in garden management. The four virtual sessions will take place from 7 – 8PM EST on June 2nd, July 7th, August 4th, and September 1st, 2021. And as a final hurrah for the year we will offer a fantastic program on October 23rd from 9:30AM – 12:30PM EST, where we can all build the basics of our soil reserves for the following year!
Join Our Gardening Community
We’re inviting all of our community members to join us in creating an on-going garden story, even if you are not able to join us in-person or virtually, that includes the home farm garden and every other garden in our network. Your home gardens have a story to tell and we want to hear those stories – your triumphs, your challenges – and the food you create with what you can grow. Add your story to our brand new Facebook group or post your garden on Instagram and use #GardenWithFOL so we can all share the fun and frustration of learning something new! Join us as we all learn to master a new skill set – Growing Great Food and Fiber!!
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