Dye Garden in process of being tidied up.

Well here is the film star having had a quick wash and brush up! Patio weeded, bears scrubbed free of bird stuff, grass cut, nettles-well some of them cut down ready for the patch to be cleared for Japanese Polygonum ( but don't worry there are plenty more hidden away in corners!). To the right nearly out of the picture is a glass demijohn full of our own grown madder, rubia Tinctoria, which immediately produced good colour and has mirrors round it to catch the rays of sun. Today the bath got up to 35 degrees C and the colour is easily rivalling some commercial chopped madder roots fermenting in the studio which you can't see as it is behind the camera. Most dye plants are in the general mass of green . Golden rod, solidago canadensis, to the left behind the bears, a tub which you can't really see with black violas and self seeded ground ivy (Nepeta hederacea.), behind that is a big bush of Genista Tinctoria and behind that a staghord sumach ( rhus typhina) tree just coming into leaf. Right at the back is Cow parsley - Anthriscus sylvestris . To the rear and right of the picture you may be able to see DH's burning place. The rest is hidden. or as the ladies bedstraw ( galium verum), only just beginning to sprout. The pond is for the wildlife, although purple loostrife, lythrum salicaria, has self seeded behind it. Yesterday DH and I sat and watched a hedge sparrow who has a nest just above it have a lovely refreshing bath in the water.