L'herbier à couleur

Come and discover our garden with dyeing plants (from June to September). In our workshop, you will learn how to transform local resources, experiment the artisanal know-how around vegetable dyes according to ancient and ecological methods.

The Baronnies, famous cradle of aromatic plants loaded with flavours and benefits, also offers in its spontaneous flora, plants giving unexpected colours.
From very ancient times, beautiful colours with subtle nuances have been extracted from their leaves, their woods, fruits and flowers, and even from their roots: the sumptuous red of the famous madder, the indigo blues of pastel, the dazzling yellow of the Gaude, as well as the very useful gall nuts, fustet wood and charcoal.

It is in Montguers - land of lavender and sheep - that "L'Herbier à couleur" was created under the leadership of Magali Bontoux, passionate about creation and plant colours.

In Montguers, you can find a lot of colourful plants growing naturally. Bringing them together in a large garden was her first task. Afterwards, she collected freshly mowed fleeces from local breeders and eventually mix the plant colours with the textile fibres. At present, the workshops for textile crafts and dyeing on silk, linen, hemp, wool are located in the old family mill.

The “herbier à couleur” suggests:
- A dye plants, indigo and vegetable ink workshop for all (presentation of indigo and coloured plants, historical approach and characteristics of plants, practical workshop) ;
- A guided garden tour, picking of fresh leaves (in season) ;
- A Workshop: manufacture of charcoal sticks, black ink as in the Middle Ages or printing of fresh leaves on fabrics ;
- Dyeing with Indigo pigment: white patterns on blue dye ;
- Making an object to take away: i.e. picture cards, lavender bag, charcoal stick.
All year round on appointment
Groups of minimum 4 and maximum 15 people.