No madder, welde, or woade no litestere
Ne knew; the flees was of his former hewe
The Former Age, Geoffrey Chaucer 1345-1400
(ie without dye plants and dyers and their know-how there would just be plain cloth)
The hexagonal raised-bed by the Western bench contains plants that were grown hereabouts for the finishing of woollen broadcloth: fuller’s teasel (for raising the knapp) and five dye plants - 1 dyer’s broom/ greenweed, 2 dyer’s chamomile, 3 weld, 4 woad and 5 madder.
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| Planted up mid-June |
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| Growing well early July |
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| Flourishing in October |
Woad - 2025 October
