The Colour Garden
Our Grade II listed building is home to Leeds Industrial Museum, but tucked just around the corner you'll find a world of colour. Turn right at the museum entrance and follow the cobbled pathway to discover our old cottage garden, The Colour Garden.
About the garden
The Colour Garden is a volunteer-run project that started in 2016, focusing on growing plants that are used in the dyeing process. Volunteers meet weekly every Thursday afternoon.
The garden began as an experiment in natural dyeing processes by growing dye plants, inspired by Leeds Industrial Museum's woollen history. Armley Mills closed in 1969, and was once the world's largest woollen mill, now home to Leeds Industrial Museum.
The garden has now developed into a beautful garden, full of life and welcoming to it's visitors.
A hub of variety
The Colour Garden is home to many varieties of plants, from various herbs and cacti to strawberries and blackberries.
Around the garden you'll find multiple benches for visitors to enjoy a peaceful moment in beautiful surroundings or to watch birds at the feeders, or other wildlife around.
The colours around the garden change all year around, so well worth stopping by every season to see it's beauty.
Dyeing in The Colour Garden
The experiment first began with woad, which creates a dark blue dye. Our volunteers have grown dye plants like woad, madder, blackberries and cherry leaves to experiment with fabric dyeing from the garden.
Over the years, the team experimented with many different plants, including plants which are not traditionally used as dye plants, like peony and black tulip flowers.
By only harvesting small amounts, the garden is preserved for everyone to enjoy.
History of The Colour Garden
It resembles a cottage garden, which is exactly what it was until Armley Mills ended its working life in 1970. The caretaker and chauffer, Mr Trory, lived in the adjoining building with his family until this time, and the garden was theirs.
Over the past 10 years, the garden has seen the additions of sleeper flower beds, benches, bird feeders, wildlife habitats and lots of colour.
Take a look at The Colour Garden in 2008, before the project started, to see the hard work and love that has been put into the garden.