Pot Pourri

You can use almost anything in your garden to make an aromatic potpourri mixture. Traditionally, potpourri is a mixture of dried flowers and other ingredients, placed in open containers, like small bowls or cups and placed to allow their aroma to delicately scent the room.

Collect flowers on a dry day. The best time is in the morning,  before the sun is high enough to have dried out the flower's oils. The flowers petals  must be dry when picked, as to avoid any mold occurring,whilst drying.

Collect 3 times as many flowers as you think you will need because their weight decreases by 2/3.  I like to lay my petals out on a tray lined with baking paper for at least 24 hours before placing them in a large container for further drying. As the flowers dry regularly toss the mixture

 Basic recipe

• 3 cups of pink rose petals
• 3 cups of red rose petals
• 2 Cups lavender  
• 1 Cup lavender leaves 
• 2 Tablespoons powdered orris root  
• 15 Drops essential oils

for a Christmas scented mix

• lemon and orange peel 
• cinnamon sticks
• cloves 

Once the petals are dry Add the spices and orris root to the mix, then the oils.

Also really great for  Potpourri are: Herbs and Spices  Allspice Bayleaf Cardamom Caraway Seed Cinnamon Cloves Coriander Lemon Verbena Mace Marjoram Nutmeg Rosemary Sage Thyme Fruit Orange peel lemon peel lime peel

Flowers Gardenia Geranium Honeysuckle Hyacinth Jasmine Lavender Lilac Lily of the Valley Marigold Orange Blossom Sweet Pea Violet  Roses darker shaded