Coordinate rooms, flowers with do-it-yourself dye project

By Betsy Lehndorff, Scripps Howard News Service | Tuesday, September 26, 2006

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Pick up a can of spray-on dye, aim it at a white poinsettia and, with a quick spritz, you have a blue poinsettia. Or an orange one. Or a turquoise one.

And you have a trend.

“This is kind of a new craze,” said Gretchen Sell, education director for Design Master, a Boulder, Colo., company that’s been manufacturing floral dyes for 40 years. “We’re not sure if it’s going to be a fad or a trend.”

Once a florist’s secret, she said colorants now are being used openly, especially in Europe where shocking pink and chartreuse flowers stop traffic at garden expos.

At Paulino Gardens in Denver, Christy Bishop sprays poinsettias with a line of colors developed by Fred Gloeckner. The New York grower created the concept last year in an effort to boost sales of the traditional holiday plant.

“Some people think they’re awful,” Bishop said as she applied blue and purple to one poinsettia. “For other people, a red poinsettia doesn’t look good in a blue room, so they like having a choice.”

As she works, I see myself in a well-ventilated room with a case of colors and a bunch of white flowers. First, I’d grab a batch of roses, using day-glo tones and glitter on their petals. Another spritz or two, and I’d add pearly highlights to a bouquet of white tulips and gold-sprayed ferns in a silver vase.

Very tasteful.

I see my snowball hydran-gea covered with multicolored pompon blossoms next spring. Borders of irises glimmer with opalescent highlights, and daisies come in red, white and blue waves.

This is followed by visions of “bust-out-the-color” garden tours, where homeowners create palettes inspired by professional sports teams.

Need more ideas? See the list below.

And if you want to see more photos, go to YourHub.com and click on my story at the gardening site.

- Buy a variety of transparent, pearlized or metallized sprays at a hobby shop, such as Michael’s or Jo-Ann fabrics. Cans retail for $5 to $6.

- Work in a well-ventilated space with good light. On a warm day, spray cut flowers or potted plants outdoors.

- Cover the work surface with paper and use rubber gloves to keep your hands clean.

- Test your aerosol can until the nozzle emits a fine mist.

- Hold the can 15 to 18 inches away from the flower to prevent the propellant from freezing the petals.

- Apply colors in a thin mist. Let dry between applications and build up layers to create deeper or contrasting colors.