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POTPOURRI

 

h e a r t s c e n t

 

FLOWERS ON THEIR LAST LEG?

 

 

Wondering what to do with those beautiful flowers when they have reached the end???

Why not make an all natural POTPOURRI.  We have all hung a bouquet of roses upside down and enjoyed the dried bouquet for years.  Try using all natural dried plant material and essential oils to make potpourri.

WHAT YOU NEED

As flowers (roses and lavender are great) start to wilt, but before they brown, pull the petals apart and lay them on a paper towel. Leave to dry completely.  Combine with other dried natural porous material such as:

  • flowers and/or their petals (color doesn’t last as long as the other items listed) – dried lavender is amazing
  • woods, roots or barks (cedar shavings from the pet store work nicely)
  • nuts, pine cones
  • herbs, spices

To help the mixture hold aroma, add a fixative such as orris root (available from craft stores or florists)

Natural aromatic ingredients include:

NEXT STEP

Here is a starting point, for every 4 cups of dried plant material, add

  • 2-3 tablespoons of powdered spices (cinnamon, clove, etc)
  • 2 tablespoons of ground orris root (as a fixative)
  • One strip of dried citrus peel
  • And 8-10 drops of essential oil.

Put the mixture in a jar, seal and rotate gently to mix.  Allow mixture to sit in sealed container for a couple of weeks.  Rotate periodically and test the aroma to see if  you like what is cooking.

Now for the fun part.

Choose an appropriate display container. Potpourri can be stored in a number of different containers, so long as they hold the potpourri material and allow for the odor to escape freely.  A number of household items can be used, such as:

  • trays,
  • bowls,
  • baskets,
  • jars,
  • large shells.

Keep this in mind the next time you go to garage sales or flea markets.  You can find some interesting containers for your all natural potpourri.

BLEND IDEAS

Here are a few aroma blends to add to your natural potpourri:

HOLIDAY BLEND:

  • 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
  • 1 TBSP ground clove
  • 1 TBSP orris root (opt)
  • I orange peeling dried
  • 10 drops orange essential oil

INVIGORATING BLEND:

CALMING BLENDS:

OR use dried lavender in your potpourri mix and add 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil

FLORAL BLEND:

GREAT OUTDOORS:

  • Use cedar shavings (pet store) in your potpourri mix and add
  • 10 drops cedarwood
  • 10 drops pine or juniper
  • 1 TBSP orris root (opt)

Don’t be afraid to work with these ideas.  These are just suggestions.  Start with fewer drops as you can always add more.

And enjoy this natural alternative to synthetic potpourri and air fresheners.  It makes a great gift as well.