Back in April, I sowed seeds for a few dye plants in containers (see Seeds to Dye For). The calendula seeds (Calendula officinalis) have already run their course. I've collected and dried blossoms for a dye project, and am drying a few seeds for the birds and for planting. Now the coreopsis seeds (Coreopsis x hybrida) are coming into their own. Their yellow and red faces are quite cheerful, and provide great transition color as fall approaches.
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| Coreopsis x hybrida |
According to Botanical Colors, coreopsis flowers produce a bronzy-orange dye, and a more reddish shade with a pinch of soda ash added to the bath. Sounds lovely, but so far I'm not sure the flower yield will be enough for much of a dye project. I'll still collect and dry the flowers as they pass their prime, and see what happens!
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| Tall, lanky coreopsis |
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| Heliotropic faces following the sun |
My plants are quite tall and lanky, with a feathery, tiered leaf pattern that is quite lovely. They must be heliotropic, as their flower heads all face in one direction. I haven't seen any butterflies so far, but many insects pause on their flowers, including a tiny lady bug that was about the same size as the flower bud.
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| Ladybug rests on the bud (a little blurry, but so cute I couldn't resist) |
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