Lime was the primary ingredient in most stains in the old days -- it was called a 'lime wash'. It can be used to stain all porous materials including masonry, concrete, and stucco without causing any of the moisture problems that modern finishes may cause.
Given the need to use traditional materials in Heritage restorations, and modern look-alikes for traditional materials, the U.S. Heritage Group out of Chicago has developed a mail order business of special order lime-wash stains and perfectly matched mortars. John Speweik joined me on the TV show to demonstrate just how easy it is to use lime wash and to give us an idea of the great variety of colours available with this technique, as you can see in the photo.
For important information on working with brick mortar, check out Working with Mortar in Hot & Cold Weather.