All Natural Dye

Spring is creeping in. And we may not feel it as the wind graces our faces but we can see it with each blooming bulb and sprouting seed. To celebrate spring we decided to create some natural dyes for our eggs and a few simple ways to decorate them. We put together a color cheat sheet so you can create some of your own!

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What you need:

  • White Eggs
  • White Vinegar
  • Jars or bowls for dipping
  • String, Lace, Twine for decorating
  • A spoon or two for scooping (avoid beet dyed fingers)

What to do: 

Red - Cranberries Simmer 1 cup of cranberries in 1 cup of water for 20 minutes. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.

Pink - Red Beets - Simmer a large beet or two small beets add 4 cups of boiling water. Stir in 2 tsp. white vinegar and cool at room temperature. Remove beets.

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Orange: Paprika - Stir 2 Tbsp. paprika into 1 cup of boiling water, make sure to stir in all of the particles. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar

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Light Yellow - Carrot Greens - Simmer 1 cup of chopped carrot tops in 1.5 cups of water for 15 minutes. Strain. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar.

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 Deep Yellow - Turmeric - Stir 2 Tbsp. turmeric into 1 cup of boiling water, make sure to stir in all of the particles. Add 2 tsp. white vinegar

Light Blue - Red Cabbage - Cut .5 a head of red cabbage into chunks and add to 4 cups of boiling water. Stir in 2 tsp. white vinegar and cool at room temperature. Remove cabbage. 

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Deep Blue - Blueberries - Mix 1 cup of frozen blueberries with 1 cup water, bring to room temperature. Remove blueberries. Add 1 tsp. white vinegar.

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Lavender - Grape Juice - Mix 1 cup grape juice and 1 tsp. white vinegar.

Brown - Coffee - Mix 1 cup of strong coffee and 1 tsp. white vinegar.

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How To: Arrange Your Flowers

Growing up I wanted to open a small flower shop. I wanted it to be tiny and old. Maybe next to a bakery, where people would pick up a fresh baguette and then stop for a fresh bouquet. Instead, I have a tiny and old farm. I feel lucky that my family and I have found this small gem in the birthplace of Bergen County, NJ. Since I am a flower lover at heart and after all my job title is, “Flower Girl” you can imagine one of my favorite things to do is to create flower arrangements. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner we thought a few tips on how to create your own arrangements might come in handy. 

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1.    Select a container. Be creative; don’t feel like you need a typical vase. Try an old milk bottle, a teacup or a mason jar (coffee cans will work too, put fresh flowers in a can of your valentine’s favorite coffee - hello romance).

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2.    Select flowers. You want to try and get flowers that are in season. Flower shop employees will help you with this. In season flowers, may not have traveled as far and tend to be less expensive (look for a peony in the dead of winter and you could be paying $10 a stem).

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3.    Design. Select a variety of textures and sizes. You want some individual stems (large & small) and some fillers (the greens and small bushy flowers). Pick flower colors that live well together. Avoid typical flowers (standard red roses for instance) - go wild.

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4.    Arrange. Always cut each flower stem on an angle (this helps them drink easier). Remove all the stems that will be submerged in the water (this keeps the water cleaner). Fill your container with clean room temperature water. Place the fillers in first, next the larger flowers, last place smaller more delicate flowers. Add more fillers in small pieces where needed.

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5.    Maintain. Empty your water and re-fill everyday or every other day. Your flowers will last longer.

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 I dropped some of these arrangements off at the local nail salon and gave a few to the guys helping us finish the barn. The result is always the same. SMILES.

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 If you want an arrangement specially made for Valentine’s Day or a random Tuesday, feel free to email us at the farm.

 Happy Valentine’s Day!

Peace & Love,

Fresh & Fancy

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Planting Bulbs with the Springboard Program!

Each week the Bergen County Springboard program visits us. They are an awesome group of kids! Today we planted a variety of fall bulbs, daffodils , tulips, muscari, crocus and more! Can't wait to see these beauties pop up in the spring! If you have a group that wants to visit we would love to have them, feel free to contact us today!