Oak apples

There might be a plague of gall wasps later in the year if this tree full of oak apples is anything to go by ! I have carefully noted its position and hope to harvest the galls later in the year to make dye and ink. I have a small handful of last year's galls from hazeltwig's garden in a jam jar of water in my greenhouse, hoping that solar power will produce enough dye for perhaps a twelve inch square of cotton. The water is already dark brown but that of course is not the same as it being strong enough to actually fix a dye into the cloth. I will give it another month or two and have a go. I think it may be more effective than the jar of dandelion flowers that is sitting next to it. I have a feeling that might smell totally disgusting when that is opened. Some of the water in both jars has evaporated but I am going for a small amount of intense colour rather than topping them up.