Restoring Peat, Inspiring Art

Expertise in Peatland Restoration

Tina Marshall Consultancy Ltd., based in Wick, Scotland, specializes in the vital field of peat restoration. Peatlands are crucial ecosystems that act as significant carbon sinks and support diverse wildlife. With a deep commitment to environmental sustainability, our consultancy offers expert services to restore damaged peatlands, helping to combat climate change and preserve natural habitats. Our team employs the latest scientific methods and innovative techniques to ensure the successful rehabilitation of these precious landscapes.

Our Unique Blend of Art and Environmental Stewardship

What sets Tina Marshall Consultancy Ltd. apart is our unique integration of art with peat restoration. We believe that art can powerfully communicate the importance of environmental conservation and inspire communities to take action. Our projects often include artistic elements that reflect the beauty and significance of peatlands, creating a meaningful connection between nature and people. This distinctive approach not only raises awareness but also enriches our restoration initiatives with creativity and cultural relevance.

Comprehensive Services Tailored to Your Needs

We offer a comprehensive range of services including site assessment, restoration planning, implementation, and ongoing monitoring. Our consultancy works closely with landowners, local authorities, and environmental organizations to deliver customized solutions that meet specific ecological and community goals. At Tina Marshall Consultancy Ltd., we prioritize collaboration, innovation, and excellence in every project, ensuring that each peatland we restore thrives for generations to come. We are currently making paint from plants, sphagnum moss and ragwort. Dyeing with Ragwort

September 23, 2012 by Heidi 13 Comments

Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

"Here in the UK ragwort is classified as a noxious weed. Around here there’s a huge abundance of this plant, it just gets everywhere. And I must admit, I rather like it. If you ignore all the things that make it so notorious (it spreads like wild fire, it is poisonous, particularly to horses), I think it is rather pretty.

Although it is a plant that even people with a very relaxed attitude to weeds should really get rid,  it can be used for dyeing, so I have allowed some of them to grow in my garden. My logic was that if you pick it before it sets seed, there can be no harm (although this nearly caused a neighbourly dispute as my neighbour gets palpitations every time he sees them in my garden).

So as much for good neighbourly relations as for the sake of a dyeing experiment, a few weeks ago I finally picked all the ragwort plants I could find in my garden. This was quite a few large plants, perhaps a kilo in total. I separated the flowers from the stems and boiled them separately for about an hour.

I mordanted wool with alum and copper, and then after dyeing modified the results with acid, alkali and iron. I don’t use copper modifiers because this creates too many problems with disposing of the dye liquid (however, when I mordant with copper I keep reusing the same liquid over and over again, just adding more copper and vinegar when it is exhausted, so disposal is not such an issue).

Sadly, the results weren’t hugely exciting. Regardless of the method, all I got was different shades of beige.  With the ragwort flowers I got lighter, more yellowy sort of beige and with the stems I got slightly darker sort of beige, more like a light brown, particularly with a copper mordant.

The acid and alkaline modifiers did not make much of a difference, so I wouldn’t say they’re worth the effort. However, an iron modifier did make the colours darker, as expected."