Crafty gardener: Goldenrod dye

Goldenrod dye

By Christine Green

Humble goldenrod often gets a bad rap. Blamed by so many for allergy flare ups, it is often derided and dismissed. But goldenrod isn’t what is making you reach for the tissues. Goldenrod’s pollen is animal-pollinated, meaning that butterflies, bees, and birds carry its pollen from plant to plant. Those early fall allergies are often a result of ragweed, which blooms at the same time as goldenrod.

This is a great time of year to utilize all those lovely yellow blooms in a simple yet highly rewarding craft.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 tablespoon of pickling alum (available in the grocery store spice aisle) Cotton fabric. Check out your local thrift store for napkins, tea towels, etc. You’ll need just enough to fill a large soup or canning pot. Large colander Two large soup pots Goldenrod blooms (again, enough to fill a large soup or canning pot), stems and leaves removed. Don’t worry about the small leaves .

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place clean fabric in one of your pots and cover with water. Make sure you have enough room to stir. Add the alum and stir well. Simmer for about forty-five minutes uncovered, stirring now and then.

2. While your fabric is simmering, add your goldenrod to the other pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil while pushing the flowers under with a wooden spoon.

Gently boil for about forty-five minutes.

3. Next, strain your flower water in a colander placed over another large bowl or pot. Add the water back to the original pot and transfer the wet fabric right to the yellow water. Simmer the fabric, stirring now and then, for about an hour. Then let cool in the pot.

4. Rinse the fabric under cool water until the rinse water is clear. Gently squeeze out the excess water and hang to dry.