Hope Is a Garden
I knew I had to move my natural dyeing outside when I made a strong pot of goldenrod dye and my husband couldn’t stand the smell. Granted, it was strong, but it also smells like honey would smell if it were a plant. There’s a sweetness that caught me completely off guard the first time I boiled it. Now my garden has three types of goldenrod that are noticeably different in their height, leaf structure, and ability to stay in one place. All three, however, are absolutely beloved by pollinators, bees especially. I spend a not insignificant amount of time watching the show of buzzing about, trying not to get too close while simultaneously wishing I could join in. Sometimes I have to prune a couple flower stalks back so folks walking down the sidewalk don’t get stung, but otherwise I don’t make goldenrod dye anymore; the bees like the flowers better and using my solar oven outdoors means I don’t get to luxuriate in the smell of golden honey.