Two weeks ago I intended to process the indigo leaves. Well, how
time flies.
Instead I brought them indoors, with the threat of really cold nights.
I have been nurturing them over the past weeks, hoping to at last achieve
a decent blue. Amazing plants considering the non summer, bet they
wished they were in India.
Yesterday I stripped the best leaves, simmered them for a while then
strained the leaves. Aireated the brew, splish, splosh; added the
hydrosulphite, and the vat was ready.
Thinking it might not work
I grabbed a cloth of unknown
providence and scrunched
it with elastic bands
loosely folded
Happy day. The recipe I followed is from Jenny Dean's Wild Colour
ISBN 781845-1-84533-569-4. A book I would highly recommend.
The plants are now looking quite sorry for themselves, however......
So, with a little tender care over
the coming months I hope to
harvest the seeds for planting
next Spring.
I must remember not to set the
seeds too early but to be patient.
I've learnt lots about growth
patterns and constant harvesting.
How free plastic forks are perfect
for layering the stalks, which will
then produce further growth.
It's been a real challenge, but
I got there in the end!
3 comments:
Love the radiance of this blue. Sometimes indigo can be rather dusty; this kind looks very brilliant -- if the pictures are true to life.
I just find amazing that such beautiful shades of blue come from this plain looking plant.
It is a lovely mid blue, no doubt with further dips the colour would deepen. It was enough to find this method worked! As to the colour on the screen, it looks fine on mine!
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