The use of plants in the home in the 17th century - Margaret Willes

Margaret will talk about the use of plants in the home in the 17th century, the subject of her recent book, The Domestic Herbal, published by the Bodleian Library.
Plants were employed in every room of the house in the seventeenth century, not just for the purposes of decoration, but for flavouring food, brewing and distilling, scenting rooms, washing linen, dyeing cloth, warding off pests and caring for the sick. Even the most elaborate and fashionable gardens had areas set aside for growing herbs, fruit, vegetables and flowers for domestic use, while those of more modest establishments were critical to the survival of the household. It was also a time of exciting introduction of plants from overseas.