The Dyer’s Garden at Historic Hanna’s Town features plants used by both Indigenous people and 18th century European settlers to create natural dyes on the Pennsylvania frontier. The garden is located outside the Murry-Beacom House, where an indoor exhibit about textile production of the period is located. The garden was established in 2021.
The Dyer's Garden in bloom. Photo credit: Mandy L. Smith, Penn State
The Dyer's Garden expands interpretation of women's work, the process of creating handmade textiles, and plants used to produce dyes prior to the invention of synthetic dyes.
The garden incorporates native plants that were foraged from nature as well as introduced species from other parts of the world. Plant diversity, educational purpose, and aesthetic value are most important in this garden; we do not need a certain quantity of plants to actually create dyes.
The Dyer's Garden supplements gardens and natural areas on the Historic Hanna's Town property where other dye-producing plants, along with vegetables, medicinals, herbs, wildflowers, grasses, and trees, are located, enhancing our broader natural history interpretation.
The garden is featured on guided tours of Historic Hanna's Town and creates opportunities for programs, lesson plans, handouts, signage, and other educational resources.
Located at 809 Forbes Trail Road, Greensburg, PA 15601
