🌿 Happy Simpling:
The Art of Poseys & Nosegays in 17th-Century Style
We love this topic because it aggregates so many of our favoriate herbal Communities of Interest (COI’s) into one cool, or many cool Summer gifts! It’s both farm-oriented and herbal maker-oriented. The topic will, no doubt, also get you thinking of expanding your herbal garden varieties and crops, Big-Time!
For instance, earlier today, we worked on an article (coming in a week) on raising your own Bay plant. Bay leaves stand for “honor”. There are many others to get you planting, simpling and gifting, too.
Enjoy!
Long before pharmacies and perfumeries, there were simples and nosegays — bundles of herbs and flowers clasped in hand, tucked in bosom, or pinned to lapel. These fragrant mini-bouquets were more than decoration. In 17th-century Europe, they were portable gardens of meaning, medicine, and protection.
In that age of unpaved streets, chamber pots emptied into alleyways, and plagues that lingered like shadows, the scent of survival often came in the form of a humble posey.
This practice was called "simpling," and from it grew a tradition of Happy Simpling — the joyful act of harvesting, arranging, and gifting herbal bundles that whisper, protect, and remember.
🌼 What Is a Posey or Nosegay?
A posey or posy is a small bouquet of herbs and flowers.
A nosegay literally means “a gay (happy) thing for the nose.”
It was often worn close to the nose to mask odors and believed to ward off illness.
They were offered as tokens of affection, protection, mourning, or social greeting.
In the 1600s, especially during outbreaks of plague, nosegays were thought to purify the air, aligning with then-popular miasma theories. Herbalists and street vendors alike would craft them from lavender, thyme, rue, rosemary, tansy, bay, and even garlic cloves — each chosen for symbolic meaning or aromatic defense.
17th-Century Streets & The Need for Nosegays
Picture it: the air of London or Amsterdam thick with smoke, dung, rot, and refuse. Disease whispered at every corner. A handkerchief soaked in rosewater, or a tightly bound nosegay of mint and marjoram, became a treasured defense.
In wealthier homes, poseys were placed at bedside, tucked into hats, or even carried into church. For apothecaries and herbalists, they were a kind of living language — saying, "I see you," or "Stay safe."
How to Make a Traditional Nosegay — On the Fly!
Step 1: Gather Your Simples
Choose 3–5 herbs or flowers, each with fragrance and meaning. Examples:
Rosemary (remembrance)
Lavender (peace, cleanliness)
Rue (protection)
Mint (cheer, refreshment)
Tansy (longevity)
Sage (wisdom)
Thyme (courage)
Bay (honor)
Violet (humility)
Marjoram (joy)
TIP: Fresh herbs in morning dew are most fragrant. Tie stems with twine, ribbon, or even wool yarn.
Step 2: Bind with Meaning
Traditionally, red ribbon signified passion or vitality. Blue suggested healing or calm. White stood for remembrance or reverence.
Tie tightly at the base, then fan the herbs out into a dome. Pin to clothing, place in a vase, or offer in hand.
Poems to Pair with Poseys
In the 17th century, it was common to attach verses or riddles to gifted nosegays. Here are a few you may use or adapt:
🌹 For a Loved One
“Rosemary for remembrance,
Thyme for the brave,
Lavender for quiet nights,
And marjoram for the days.”
🌿 For a Friend in Recovery
“Sage for the strength of body and soul,
Mint for a spirit once more whole,
A nosegay small, but meant to cheer —
With all my care, I send it here.”
For an Elder or Loved Ancestor
“Rue for the tears we leave behind,
Bay for the wisdom of your kind,
Violet and thyme in gentle blend —
A posey’s hug that shall not end.”
Quick-Craft Poseys: 3 Themed Bundles
1. The Hearthkeeper’s Handful
Bay
Rosemary
Thyme
Lavender
🗝️ Use to bless the home and hearth
2. The Herbal Joy Posy
Lemon balm
Peppermint
Marjoram
Chamomile
😊 Gift to a weary mother or overwhelmed friend
3. The Guardian’s Nosegay
Rue
Sage
Garlic chive blossoms
Tansy
🛡️ A protective charm, best hung at the door or worn close to the body
Nosegay Lore & Folk Beliefs
In some English traditions, young women pinned nosegays to their bodices to ward off suitors they disapproved of — the herbs in the bouquet signaling their disinterest.
In Germany and France, "herb women" offered poseys at markets, each tied with a hand-scrawled blessing.
Plague doctors wore beak-like masks stuffed with dried nosegay herbs to protect them while treating the sick.
Happy Simpling Today
We invite you to try Happy Simpling in your own world:
Create a nosegay for your bedside.
Leave a posey with a note on a neighbor’s doorstep.
Offer herbal bundles at your apothecary, farmer’s market, or craft fair.
Let herbs speak when words fail.
By doing so, we breathe new life into an ancient art — and keep the fragrant folklore of herbal wisdom alive.
Final Thought
"A handful of simples, a heart full of care,
A nosegay of love, in sweet country air."
Until next time…
I am…
Phil Wilson…
And, here’s to living an Herbal Lifestyle With You!