In 2023, I made ink from a few Dahlias that my friend Hannie gave me. The color is really beautiful, but nothing like what I expected. I thought it would be a red or pink! That is what makes making color from plants so magical.

The recipe is simple:

• Pull the petals off the stem and place in a pot with some distilled water
• Cook down for an hour on a low heat.
• Add some alum powder to brighten it up, and make sure it all dissolves.

Test the color till you like what you see. Keep in mind, that the color shifts depending on the paper it’s on.