Planning a Natural Dye Garden

Register

Join us in person at Garfield Park Conservatory to learn how to plan and care for a natural dye garden from seed to harvest.

During this workshop instructor Kristin Field will share with participants growing instructions (seeding, spacing, transplanting, and care during the growing season) for the following natural dye plants:

• Marigolds
• Japanese indigo
• Coreopsis
• Sulfur Cosmos
• Scabiosa
• Dyer’s Chamomile
• Hopi sunflowers
• Madder

Kristin will also share information on harvesting tips & where to buy dye plant seeds, lead participants through an example garden plan, and give participants an opportunity to create their own garden map.

Please note: this class will NOT cover how to naturally dye fibers. Kristin will provide participants with information for several free and paid resources for those who would like to learn how to naturally dye, but that is not the focus of this class. Kristin will also show samples of fibers dyed with each of these plants so participants can see the potential colors you can achieve with each plant.

Kristin has been working with and studying natural dyes for over 4 years, has designed and cared for natural dye gardens for the last 3 years, and was a Floret 2022 workshop participant. She is the Adult Experiential Learning Manager with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance.

Class available for ages 18+

Scholarships are available! Please fill out this Scholarship Application (link opens in a new tab) or contact Mattie Wilson at mwilson@garfieldpark.org for more information. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Saturday, February 18th at 5:00pm CST.

Accommodations: When you register for this workshop you will be asked to provide any accommodations requests. If you have any questions or would like to request an additional accommodation, please contact access@garfieldpark.org at least 72 hours prior to the event start.

Please read our updated Covid-19 protocols (link opens in a new tab).

Please note that reservations are required to visit the indoor and outdoor gardens of the Conservatory. If you’d like to visit the Conservatory immediately after participating in this program, book your visit here (link opens in a new tab).

Registration ends Tuesday, February 28th at 5pm CST.

For all fee-based programs and tours, we are able to provide full refunds up to two weeks prior to the program date. Within two weeks, we can offer a credit for a future class, or a refund in the event that we have a waitlist for the program and we can fill your spot.