Adreonna RaineyWhat began as a small dye garden at the University of Kentucky Arboretum has grown into a hands-on summer internship and cross-listed course that immerses students in the sustainable production and use of natural dyes. The project was sparked several years ago when horticulturist Shari Dutton received the book “A Dyer’s Garden” as a Christmas gift.
Shari Dutton, Extension Associate in the UK’s Department of Horticulture; Crystal Gregory, associate professor in the School of Art and Visual Studies; and Anne-Frances Miller, professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, lead the project. Together, they integrate art, horticulture, and chemistry, allowing students to gain knowledge through direct, hands-on application.
Originally a demonstration garden, the plot has become a testing ground for plant-based dyes. Students, faculty, and staff experiment with, harvest, and process plants. Marigolds, a vibrant yellow in color, thrive in Kentucky’s climate and have become a cornerstone for the fall 2025 course. Beyond the class, the project showcases the unique color palette Kentucky’s geography offers and the role it can play in a sustainable future for dyes.
In 2025, three students – Bailey Shultz, an art and anthropology student; Allie Neltner, a biology major; and Jessica Mitchler, a Curatorial Studies Master of Fine Arts Candidate – were selected to be summer interns. They spent the season planting and harvesting plants at two dye garden sites and identifying research gaps in the project.
“The internship taught me a lot about getting my hands dirty out in the field and doing horticultural research,” said Neltner, who logged more than 800 entries on plants and other variables in the project database. “But I think the greater value of this internship is that it has the potential to do so much good. Our data could be given to home gardeners and farmers alike, and makes natural dyes a bit more accessible for everyone.”
Synthetic dyes have been around for approximately 170 years, blooming during the Industrial Revolution and continuing to dominate the market. Natural dyes, by contrast, have been used by humans for thousands of years; however, there is limited and inconsistent research regarding them.
This fall, the harvested plants from the summer crops will be used by students enrolled in the cross-listed course Dye Garden: Experiments in Color, which consists of three modules: horticulture, chemistry, and art. The horticulture module will allow students to grow dye plants, specifically marigolds, and investigate plant varietal differences on dye outcomes. In the Chemistry module, students will analyze pigments using chromatography, collect spectra that show the strengths of different dyes, and test hypotheses about how molecules contribute to the differences in flower colors. Class members will learn why different dyeing recipes work (or don’t) based on the chemical properties of the dyes and fibers. The art module has students applying dyes to textiles, experimenting with mordants, pH shifts, and fabric types to see how color changes.
This class offers students an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic dyes while honoring traditional practices. By learning how to grow, harvest, and experiment with dye plants, students gain practical skills and knowledge they can apply beyond the classroom and carry with them into their careers.
