Experimenting with natural dye: Will Four o'clock flower (mirabilis jalapa) seeds dye?

Hello friends! Someone noticed I have a four o'clock flower bush in my garden, and commented that the seeds might yield a pink dye. Colour me intrigued. So when the plants had collapsed I collected the seeds and started experimenting with some Flemish sheep wool, alum mordant, rain water and the seeds. And lo and behold you can indeed dye with mirabilis jalapa seeds, however not a very vibrant colour...
I also take a moment to talk about my garden and some internalised lawn culture that gave me anxiety and panick attacks and how my garden is now no longer an absolute biodiversity paradise. All because I'm scared of my neighbours...
Oh and because it is super useful information, here is Jenny Dean's blog on natural and botanical dyeing: www.jennydean....
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