CMS NavBar    
 
 
Plants for Dyes and Aromas

Without any source of commercial dyes it was necessary for the medieval Picking flowers; detail of the month of May from a Canterbury calendar, c. 1280household to find plants from which they could extract dyes for cloth, food, inks and paints. Some colors extracted were blue from woad, red from madder, and yellow from lady's bedstraw.

Scents were also important, be they pleasing or objectionable. Pleasing scents helped to mask odors created by poor personal hygiene and close proximity to human and animal waste. Objectionable scents were used to drive out vermin and snakes and to protect clothes from fleas and moths, among other things.
 
 

Medieval Garden | Kitchen Garden | Pleasure Ground
Contemplation Garden | Field Crops | Grove

Publications | Activities | Members & Associates
Contacting the Center | Teachers | Majors | Links | Home


This site is maintained by the staff of the Center for Medieval Studies.
Please contact the
webmaster if you experience difficulty.