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Dye Garden and Native Plants Garden

The roof of Carpenter Library will host two new gardens featuring dye plants and native flowering plants

The Plan

New gardens: two complementary plans for the plots on the Carpenter Library roof adjacent to the Carpenter entrance and the steps down to the Canaday drive. 

2023 marks the first year

The pollinator dye garden will have

  • Dye plants and cotton that were in use in Byzantine Egypt and historical South Asia. These plants relate to faculty and staff courses on textiles (e.g., 360°: Textiles in Context). Plants may vary from the plan published here.
  • Native flowering pollinators
  • Four-season visual interest. Non-native plants include spring-flowering bulbs.

 

(Drawing: Merissa MacDonald Design)

People

Designer

Merissa MacDonald, Bartram's Garden

Facilities

Dawn DiGiovanni, Associate Director of Facilities for Grounds

LITS staff

  • Marianne Weldon (Project Manager)
  • Berry Chamness
  • Camilla MacKay
  • Jennifer Spohrer
  • Laura Surtees
  • Bronwen Densmore

Dye and Fiber Plants

Plants may include

  • Cotinus corryggia "Grace"
  • Dyer's Broom
  • Safflower
  • Weld/Dyer's Rocket
  • Madder
  • Indigo
  • Cotton
  • Flax
  • African marigold