Private Introduction to plant color in Forcalquier in Provence

About this tour

Learn to extract natural dyes from plants growing in a traditional Provençal garden, then apply them to paper and fabric using sustainable methods. This 3.5-hour workshop guides you through harvesting, dyeing, and fixing colours without synthetic chemicals—all water is rainwater collected on-site and recycled back into the garden. Walk away with samples you've created and the knowledge to repeat the process at home.

Highlights

• Harvest dye plants directly from the garden
• Extract and apply colours to paper and fabric
• Zero synthetic chemicals, rainwater-based methods
• Take home your handmade samples
• Family-friendly sessions for children six and up

What to expect

You'll start by exploring the garden, identifying which plants yield which pigments, then picking what you need for the day. The instructor walks you through the extraction and fixation process—it's hands-on but low-stress. You'll experiment with different plants and substrates to see how colours shift and settle. The garden operates as a closed loop: rainwater harvested from the roof becomes your dye bath and later waters the beds. By the end, you'll have created several samples and understand the chemistry behind plant colour well enough to try it yourself.

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