AFRICAN MARIGOLD SEEDS – Tagetes erecta

(Traditional Yellow & Orange Dye Plant)
Dye Colour: Yellow & Orange | Produced in: Ireland

Tagetes erecta, commonly known as African Marigold, is a highly productive dye plant producing abundant double flowers in rich shades of yellow and orange. With their distinctive anemone-like form and geometric structure, these blooms are valued for both natural dyeing and eco printing, where they yield warm, golden tones and expressive botanical prints.

Compact and evenly growing, African Marigolds reach around 25–30 cm in height and are well suited to dedicated dye beds, containers, and mixed planting schemes.

Dye fastness: Medium

🌱 Basic Growing Information

Sowing period
Early February to late May

Germination time
5–14 days

Height
25–30 cm (10–12 in)

Preferred location
Full sun with well-drained soil

✂️ Harvesting for Dye & Printing

Harvest flowers regularly throughout the season to encourage continued flowering. Blooms may be used fresh or dried for dyeing and eco printing.

📦 Additional Details

Open-pollinated & organically grown in Ireland
Germination rate: 68%
Approx. 75 seeds per packet
Irish seed licence: IE010713

Please note: Seeds and plants can only be shipped within Europe.

Join The Natural Dyers & Growers Academy to share your experiences and get support from fellow growers.

Cola Nuts
Dye Colour: Orange to Almost-Black | Botanically: Cola nitida (Vent.) A. Chev.

Cola nuts, a treasured natural dye source from Africa, are celebrated for their rich, vibrant orange hue. When combined with Indigo, they create a striking, almost-black colour, a technique rooted in traditional African dyeing practices. With their high tannin content, Cola nuts offer exceptional colour fastness, making them a reliable and durable choice for natural dyeing. Perfect for eco-conscious artists and makers, Cola nuts provide a unique and sustainable addition to your dyeing collection.

Colour Fastness: Very Good

Video Demonstration:
To see the Cola nut dyeing process in action, watch this insightful video from 1996 showcasing the use of Cola nuts and Indigo in textiles.

"A Dyeing Art" - Indigo & Cola Nut & Textiles - Circa 1996

Watch the video here

Join The Natural Dyers & Growers Academy to share your experiences and get support from fellow growers.

We are stepping away from paper prints and will send out the recipe for this kit by pdf

MADDER NATURAL DYEING KIT FOR PLANT FIBRES ~ This Kit contains everything you need to dye 100-300g of Yarn/Fibre/Fabric.

DYE COLOURS: Red, Orange, Brown

Most natural dyes aren't immediately exhausted and you can continue dyeing several more pieces. Each new dip will result in a paler colour.
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Don't want a Kit, but just the recipe? Click here for a downloadable PDF!


SUITABILITY

Over the past year, I have noticed that many crafters use natural dye kits to dye Cotton, linen and other plant based fibres. Unknown to them, the mordanting instructions used for Wool or Silk are unsuitable for plant based fibres and often will result in pale, short lasting colours.

We have remedied that with our collection of ever growing dye kits and stand alone dye recipes. You can now choose the dye kit according to your fibre needs  ~ protein (wool & other animal fibres) or plant based fibres (linen, hemp, cotton)

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The DYE Kit makes a lovely present too - well packaged in recyclable cardboard, the dyes come in resealable stand up bags and the recipe is printed on strong booklet paper, which can be reused again and again.


What you will receive in this Kit:

Full and reusable Dyeing instructions

How to care for your plant dyed things care card

200g Madder cut, 100g Alum, 30g Soda Ash, 50g Oak Gall ground ~ all packaged in resealable stand up bags

MADDER NATURAL DYEING KIT FOR WOOL & SILK ~ This Kit contains everything you need to dye 100-300g of Yarn/Fibre/Fabric.

DYE COLOURS: Red, Orange, Brown

Most natural dyes aren't immediately exhausted and you can continue dyeing several more pieces. Each new dip will result in a paler colour.
_____________________________

Don't want a Kit, but just the recipe? Click here for a downloadable PDF!

SUITABILITY

Over the past year, I have noticed that many crafters use natural dye kits to dye Cotton, linen and other plant based fibres. Unknown to them, the mordanting instructions used for Wool or Silk are unsuitable for plant based fibres and often will result in pale, short lasting colours.

We have remedied that with our collection of ever growing dye kits and stand alone dye recipes. You can now choose the dye kit according to your fibre needs  ~ protein (wool & other animal fibres) or plant based fibres (linen, hemp, cotton)

****************************

The DYE Kit makes a lovely present too - well packaged in recyclable cardboard, the dyes come in resealable stand up bags and the recipe is printed on strong booklet paper, which can be reused again and again.


What you will receive in this Kit:

Full and reusable Dyeing instructions

How to care for your plant dyed things care card

100g Madder roots, 30g Alum, 30g Cream of tartar ~ all packaged in resealable stand up bags

ORANGE COSMOS SEEDS

(Cosmos sulphureus)
Dye Colour: Yellow, Orange & Burnt Gold | Produced in Ireland

Cosmos sulphureus, commonly known as Orange Cosmos, produces abundant single flowers in warm shades of yellow, orange, and deep amber. With its open, daisy-like blooms and fine, feathery foliage, this easy-to-grow annual brings both lightness and energy to the dye garden.

Generous in flower and simple to cultivate, Cosmos sulphureus is well suited to natural dyeing and eco-printing, yielding clear sunny yellows, warm oranges, and soft golden tones on fibre depending on dye application. Flowers can be used fresh or dried, making it a flexible and accessible dye plant.

Dye Fastness: Poor to Medium (best on protein fibres, with alum mordant)

🌱 Basic Growing Information

• Sowing period:
  Indoor sowing mid-March to late April
  Direct sow outdoors from mid-May, once frost risk has passed

• Germination time: 7–21 days

• Height: 60–90 cm (24–36 in)

• Preferred location:
  Full sun; light, well-drained soil

🌼 Additional Details

• Open-pollinated & organically grown in Ireland

• Germination rate: 86%

• Irish seed licence: IE010713

• Approx. 75 seeds per packet

Please note: Seeds and plants can only be shipped within Europe.

🌿 Join the Natural Dyers & Growers Academy to share growing experiences, explore dye techniques, and connect with fellow growers.