I spent part of this morning at Kuzhitura Farm, a site that is a 20 minute walk south of the main part of Amma’s Amritapuri ashram. I will be writing at least two posts about that visit. I’m eager to show you the flowers I saw, so I’m going to start with that one! You can click on the gallery to enlarge the photos.
To see all of the posts in this Amritapuri series, click here.
I have spent several days at Saraswati Gardens helping in the dye area. One day last week, Padma noticed how much color was still left in the pulp after she made marigold dye. We decided to dry it out and see if something could be done with it.
The next day, the pulp still wasn’t dry so I separated into smaller pieces and placed it on cotton and silk fabrics. I thought it would dry better that way plus it gave us a chance to see what effect it would have on the cloth.
As I was distributing the pulp, I kept looking at the newspaper I had originally spread the pulp on. The color that was left on that paper was a vibrant yellow.
By the next day, the idea of using the pulp to dye more cloth was discarded as it was obvious that the color it produced was too light.
Two days ago, the dye project staff finished the first prayer flag made using dye only from Saraswati garden flowers. I think it is so beautiful.
The first flag below was colored with marigold dye, the second was from a rose dye, and the third was dye made from madder root. The dye for the yellow strip that goes along the top was made from turmeric root.
The dye used on the first flag below was made from turmeric root; the second is indigo and the third is rose.
The first flag below is another one dyed with madder root, the second and third are both from marigold dye with one being a lighter version than the other.
Since I’m learning a bit about making dye from plants this year, I have wondered whether or not I will start making dyes when I return to Seattle. Growing the flowers sounds right; being creative with them sounds right; but at the moment I don’t feel called to dye cloth.
Last night, I thought about the bright yellow marigold dye I saw on the newspaper when I was working with the pulp. Then another memory came to me. Many years ago, I was intrigued by handmade paper. At the time, I wanted to learn how to make it, but never did.
Maybe in my retirement, I will make paper and find ways to dye it using flower petals or roots, or maybe even leaves. Or perhaps the flowers and leaves will be used in other ways, such as in this photo of papermaking in Burma.
Is papermaking on my horizon? It very well could be.
Weekly Photo Challenge: New Horizon
To look at previous posts in this Amritapuri series, click here.
I have been eagerly awaiting this week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge. My favorite yellow photo is one I took two years ago near Amma’s Engineering College in Amritapuri, India. The bright yellow flowers were such a stunning contrast to all the greenery that surrounded it.
Here are some of the other “yellow” photos I’ve taken during the last two years. (Click on the gallery to enlarge the pictures.)
It is near the end of the season for most of the plants in my garden, but it isn’t over yet!
It was an interesting year for the blueberry bushes. Four years ago, I planted three blueberry bushes, of different varieties. One died the first year and half of another one died last year. Neither had ever produced any blueberries. The third bush had a few blueberries the second two years. This year it there were many more, but they were very tiny. A few weeks ago it started producing fruit again, and they were full size. I wonder what will happen next year? Maybe I will be able to enjoy eating lots of blueberries!
A few days ago, I noticed some flowers coming out of the play chips in my back yard. I had never seen flowers like them before. Do any of you know what they are?
The other day it occurred to me that it is almost the end of the summer and I have never mentioned my worms. Normally, I would have written several posts about them by now.
I have a small worm bin close to my kitchen and a large one in the back yard. These creatures are very special to me. In fact, I consider them to be my pets!
In addition to providing me enjoyment, they also make vermi-compost, a high quality fertilizer, that I use in my garden. This year I had so many worms in my bins, even after I gave a lot of them away, that I had trouble keeping them fed. My problem was solved when I discovered that the nearby grocery store was more than happy to give me lettuce and other produce that they normally discard.
As the garden season ends, another season begins. This coming Sunday, the Seahawks have their first regular season game. After a life-long dislike of football, I became an avid Seahawks fan in the autumn of 2012. Since then Al, Ramana and I have often come together to watch the games and enjoy a meal. Last year, I told my friends if I am not somewhere that they think I should be, they should assume that I’m watching a Seahawks game. Same thing goes for this year!
I read this morning that three million bees in one South Carolina bee farm died this week due to the Zika spraying. When I read the article, I remembered the post I wrote two years ago, We Need the Bees. In it, I included the link to an article where Whole Foods showed what their produce department would look like in a world without bees.
Such a tragic situation the Zika crisis is- for humans, bees and many other creatures. May a solution be found soon.
(Click on the galleries to enlarge the photos.)
(Click on the gallery to enlarge the photos.)
Two weeks ago I took photos of a garden in Maltby, a town northeast of Seattle. I had seen the garden soon after it was started in May and the transformation is remarkable. Seeing and walking through it has certainly inspired me.
(Click gallery to enlarge photos)
I’m amazed by how many beautiful roses I am still seeing in my neighborhood even though it is now August. In April the roses were in full bloom so I thought their season would end early.
I think this collection of roses is particularly interesting because they are so close in color, yet each is different.
So much is growing, blooming, multiplying and thriving. (After the photos there is a video.)
And very dear to my heart:
These photos barely give a glimpse of the beauty of this rhododendron. It was stunning.
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