Natural DIY Bee Balm Dye

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Bee Balm is a favorite plant for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Bee Balm is a favorite plant for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
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“A Garden to Dye For” by Chris McLaughlin walks you through how to create your own colorful dyes with plants from your garden.
“A Garden to Dye For” by Chris McLaughlin walks you through how to create your own colorful dyes with plants from your garden.

In A Garden to Dye For (St. Lynn’s, 2014), Chris McLaughlin teaches you how to make the most of your garden by harvesting different plants to create your own clothing dyes. She walks you through each type of plant, explaining where the color comes from and how best to get it for yourself. In the following excerpt, she explains how to make the most of your Bee Balm petals to produce a dynamic dye.

Bee Balm (Monarda spp.)

aka Bergamot

Bee balm is one of the handful of plants that’s in one of my own personal plant categories: “Species Seuss.” Crazy bee balm with its vibrant flower-fountain hairdos brings a smile every time. And it’s not just me; bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds will confirm that they’re a must-have in the garden.

Monarda is a perennial herb that thrives in zones 4-9. As a dye plant, look for bee balm that produces scarlet or dark pink petals. Its aromatic foliage is rather mint-thyme-oregano-y…kind of the ultimate herb scent. Start seeds indoors February–March or directly into the garden bed in early spring. Purchasing them as baby plants or divisions from friends will usually assure you blooms the first year.

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