Are you one of those sentimental people who just can’t throw out a bouquet of roses once it’s past its prime? Do you have a room with a area of ceiling space devoted to dozens of bouquets hanging upside down because according to the best advice, this is the best way to dry them–with the intention that you’re “going to do something with them someday?” Don’t they, in fact, look kind of–well, creepy?
Well, now is the time to get rid of them–but in a good way. Potpourri!
Of course, if you’d like to make a batch of potpourri and you don’t have a garden of dead flowers, you’re going to need some flower petals to dry. Get nosy and take a good look in your neighbors’ yards. Do any of them have a couple of rows of rose bushes? Wait until May, when they’re about to bloom–then knock on their door. Tell them you’re the neighbor from 3 houses down and couldn’t help but notice their lovely rose garden, and that you’d like to make a batch of potpourri–would they be willing to let you have the buds and blooms they trim off? Make it easy for them by telling them to put them in a bag on their doorstep, and that you’ll keep an eye out for them and pick them up from their porch (and then keep the good will by religiously checking for them daily–don’t leave them hanging around–and once you reach your desired amount, let them know so they don’t keep bagging them up for you). You might make a mental note to give them a small container of the potpourri when it’s eventually finished, tied up with a pretty ribbon. Another source is florist shops. Pop in, tell them what you’re doing and ask if they’d be willing to let you have (or sell you for very little) any roses that go past their prime and are destined for the dumpster. You could arrange to pick them up weekly.
You’ll need a large, undisturbed work area where you can spread newspapers to dry the petals.
Pull the petals from the flower heads (except if you find very tight, tiny buds, which are charming left whole) and spread loosely in a single layer over the newspaper–the more airflow, the sooner and better they will dry. Any moisture left in the petals will begin to grow mold in the finished product. Leave them to dry for 10 days to 2 weeks. If there were white roses in the mix, some will have dried to ivory-yellow; others will simply have turned brown. Even some of the prettiest colors lose their color and turn completely brown. Pick out the browns and discard.
Obtain a large, inexpensive, airtight container (such as the 5-gallon buckets that some fast-food places re-sell for $1-$2), in which to “cure” and store your potpourri.
If you are using already-dried flowers which have been hung upside-down, remove the two widest petals from the bottom of the rose, as these will be the most likely to have caught dust while hanging, and discard. Carefully pluck or snip the remaining leaves, making every effort not to crush them into crumbly pieces–they’ll be very brittle. If you have leaves that have remained green, they will be nice in the mix, as well. If you like the look of the dried flower centers, snip off the excess stem and toss them in, too.
Consider what you have in mind for the finished product of this potpourri. Is it for your own use, scattered around the house in one or two fragrant open dishes? Do you plan to pack it up in small containers or make envelope-style, lace-trimmed sachets and give it as holiday gifts to girlfriends and aunties? Gather into tiny “bundle” sachets (a fat tablespoon of potpourri tied up in a circle of tulle or lace, tied with ribbon printed with a wedding (or 50th anniversary) couples’ names and finished off with a tiny flower in the center of bow? Potpourri also makes adorable, inexpensive Victorian Christmas-tree ornaments–stuffed into lace “packets” cut the shape of an old-fashioned lady’s shoe; an elongated triangle with a curved pipe cleaner at one end becomes an umbrella; miniature straw sunhats with lace glued along the brim will hold a fragrant bundle in lace in crown of the hat–trim these with a few ribbons, lace and tiny flowers from the craft store, usually found in the wedding section. The end use will determine what you want your mix to look like, and influence the fragrance you select for your batch.
If you plan to use the potpourri in open containers in your home, or gift it for the same kind of use, you may want to add some other elements to make the potpourri more attractive and interesting. Many craft stores carry small bunches of dried, real flowers, usually small and with the look of small daisies. These can be snipped at the base of the bloom and mixed in for color and interest. Many commercial potpourris include exotic plant pods, either natural or spray-painted gold or silver. Such pods are expensive. Instead, seek out some branches of the tiniest pinecones and lay them out to dry as you did the rose petals. When completely dry, break free of their branches (or leave some tiny clusters together) and leave them natural or, if you choose, spray-paint them silver or gold, allowing at least 2 days for the paint to dry. (Don’t overpaint! Leaving the inner “scales” a bit brown is a classier look.) If you’re not happy with the color of your mix, you can “cheat” by adding just a few, small petals from silk flowers to enhance the color. Also, hydrangeas dry well, although often turning brown. Once dried, they can be given a very light coat of spray paint in the color of your choice and broken into single flowers or small groups of 2-3 flowers, depending on how “chunky” you want your mix to be. (Dried hydrangeas, sometimes already dyed, can also be purchased–they aren’t cheap, but one or two stems should be plenty.) Silk hydrangeas are available, but aren’t a good choice for “cheating” in your potpourri, as they cease to look real when cut into small pieces.
Tip: just before adding the oils to your big bucket, consider any potpourri you already have sitting around your house–has it lost its scent? Do you have a couple of bags that have been sitting in your linen closet for 4 years? Consider tossing them into the mix, for added color and interest–and additional “filler” volume for your batch. They’ll get dusted off and re-fragranced when you add the oils. If they still have some fragrance, don’t worry–it will mix nicely; sometimes mixes are the best of all.
Once you’ve assembled the “makings,” think again about the end use, because it’s time to add the potent oils that will give your potpourri its fragrance, again available at the craft store. If it’s for holiday time, for example to compensate for the lack of scent in your home since you’ve switched to an artificial tree, or for Thanksgiving or other hostess gifts, or Victorian tree ornaments, consider spruce, pine, evergreen, and the traditional holiday Bayberry scents; and you might consider crushing some cinnamon sticks to mix in (cheaper at the craft store as they aren’t of food-service quality). If you’re making sachets as gifts, go with girlie fragrances such as tea rose, freesia, carnation, violet–or any that strikes your fancy. (Same with wedding-favor sachets.) Don’t buy more than 1 or 2 bottles of fragrance. These oils are very strong, and you don’t want the scent to be overpowering, giving someone a headache or allergy attack. (Tip: if your grandmother adores violets, move some of your mix to a smaller container and scent it with violet, just for her.)
Sprinkle just a few drops of oil into the batch, and using your hands or a large spoon VERY gently to avoid crumbling the brittle dried petals, mix the oil-spattered petals well into the dry ones. If your container is not overfull, you can put the lid on, lay it on its side, and gently roll or “toss it” like a very fragile salad. Repeat several times until the fragrance is relatively strong. (It won’t be quite as strong as it seems, because a lot of what you are smelling will be on your hands and in the surrounding air.) Make sure the fragrance is well mixed in, so that there are no “wet spots” from too much oil. It’s better to use less oil–you can always add more. Cover the lid and let the potpourri steep for a couple of weeks. The scent will probably be strong when you first open the container–to check for the actual strength of the fragrance, put some of your finished potpourri in a bowl and take it to a room that’s completely removed from the main container. In coming and going into that room throughout the day, you should be able to determine whether you need to add more fragrance. (If the fragrance knocks you over, accumulate another large batch of petals, mix without adding additional fragrance oil, and steep again for a couple of weeks; it should be just right.)
Whatever your own use, don’t forget to show your appreciation for your neighbor or florist who was the main source of your petals, by delivering a nicely-presented, ribbon-tied container of the potpourri. They may use it themselves or re-gift it, but this gesture of appreciation will make them more likely to help out if you decide to do it again next year.
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