Sini Tuulia

Hey, #DomesticHistory, #history and #folklore etc. people, I have a random knowledge request

I just randomly thought: "Yes, there used to be a type of bush people used to plant close to their homes because it was easy to hang laundry to dry on it - it had nice sturdy branches with minimal gunk most of the year, also it was good for making broomsticks."

I'd like to know if anyone else has ever heard of this or if my brain decided to hallucinate this random "fact" as if it read it somewhere 😄​

Feb 21, 2023 at 12:38pmWeb
Show threadJuliaFeb 21, 2023
@sinituulia Maybe @FairytalesFood might be able to help, or know someone who can?
Show threadFolklore, Food & FairytalesFeb 21, 2023
@jtheseamstress @sinituulia I’m sorry, I can’t help. I know it was fairly common to dry clothes over nice-smelling but sturdy plants like big rosemary bushes but I’ve not heard of a broom connection.
Show threadSini TuuliaFeb 21, 2023
@FairytalesFood I received a literary example of hedge types, but it's entirely possible the broom connection was just my brain being my brain! I think it might have been confusing how people would coppice many different trees/bushes for the purpose, as well as basket weaving
Show threadLeon BambrickFeb 21, 2023

@sinituulia

“border of Primpe, Boxe, Lauandar, Rose-mary, or such like, but Primpe or Boxe is the best, and it was set thicke, at least eightéene inches broad at the bottome & being kept with cliping both smooth and leuell on the toppe and on each side, those borders as they were ornaments so were they also very profitable to the huswife for the drying of linnen cloaths, yarne, and such like”

http://www.oldandinteresting.com/clothes-horses-airers.aspx

Clothes horses or winter hedges as drying and airing racks

Show threadSini TuuliaFeb 21, 2023

@secretgeek Incredible, thank you! I am pleased that this was actually a thing and that I hadn't just made it up!

Also a lovely and interesting page otherwise, thank you for adding to my idle reading pile 😄​

Show threadLeon BambrickFeb 21, 2023
@sinituulia thank you 😊. Interesting question and i could’ve gone pretty deep down the rabbit hole researching that one! Managed to stop before I went too far. But I was left thinking about what different cultures at different times would’ve done. Also, laundry has been a quite social activity over the ages.
Show threadSini TuuliaFeb 21, 2023
@secretgeek 😄​ I thought I might avoid a personal rabbit hole by asking, as I had to accomplish other things today. Domestic history and the history of laundry is very very interesting! It used to take such a huge part of the week for the women of the family (or professional laundresses) and a lot of talking, singing and storytelling must have been going on at the creek or around the copper pot. Nobody just bothered to write it down, it seems
Show threadBeeDeeFeb 21, 2023
@sinituulia @secretgeek Im guessing being female and of the lowly housekeeping brigade, they didnt know how to write or read
Show threadSini TuuliaFeb 22, 2023
@BeeDee Wives did the household management, doing the books, shopping, inventory and everything, and reading was a hugely popular pastime for all classes. It's just that male historians and scholars didn't bother to write down almost anything to do with women and women's work because we were, and still are, considered only somewhat human - second class citizens.
Show threadAilbheFeb 21, 2023
@secretgeek @sinituulia this explains box hedging!!! I never understood it
Show threadSini TuuliaFeb 21, 2023
@ailbhe Every day we learn something new that wasn't new at all
Show threadAilbheFeb 21, 2023
@sinituulia srsly. I thought it was ugly and unscented and extremely suburbia-ish. But there was a point!
Show threadSini TuuliaFeb 22, 2023
@ailbhe If it did originate from the 1600-1700s it did come up in a time where Man Conquers Nature was a whole ass theme, until at some point people realised they actually liked natural, artfully chaotic and soft shapes again 😄​ Humans. Really weird
Show threadAilbheFeb 22, 2023
@sinituulia Ah, yes. Lawns and landscaping and next thing you know, the internal combustion engine.
Show threadSini TuuliaFeb 22, 2023
@artbyailbhe At least back then it was decorative flocks of sheep instead of lawn mowers with internal combustion engines!
Show threadAilbheFeb 22, 2023
@sinituulia sheep with internal combustion engines are called goats.
Show threadSkovheks--Feb 21, 2023
@secretgeek @sinituulia
TY for the info!
Show threadVoima OyFeb 21, 2023
@sinituulia
I don't know if this is helpful, but apparently, blackthorn was used for broomsticks and walking sticks...
Show threadSini TuuliaFeb 21, 2023
@voimaoy Now I know!
Show threadVoima OyFeb 21, 2023
@sinituulia
I hope this is what you're looking for!