Some of the best resources for my ink come from the natural dyer’s recipes I find online. I have seen a few posts on hyacinths being a good flower for dyes, and I tried it a few years ago. Now I make it every year. To me, it is the epitome of the softness of spring. My sister has a large amount growing in the backyard of her office building so she gets me a baggie full every spring.

It is a simple recipe: put flowers in a small Mason jar and cover with boiled spring water then add 1 tsp of alum. I usually place the concoction in the sun on the porch for a few days but it was a cool grey day so I placed the Mason jar in a water bath and simmered it for a few hours at 190°.