A traditional way to capture the essence of a summer herb garden is to
make a potpourri, a mixture of colorful, fragrant flowers and leaves displayed
in a bowl, sachet, or whatever container you choose. You can use many different
herbs, flowers, and leaves in your potpourri; you are only limited to your imagination.
It is probably best to use a few recipes at first though, experience will soon
tell you how much of each fragrant flower or leave to use.
Potpourri has
become a term for many aromatic mixtures. There is the older moist method of making
potpourri out of pickled flowers and leaves, the moist method gives a longer lasting
perfume, but is more difficult to do and usually less attractive. The dry method,
the one I will be showing you today is popular as it is easy, and colorful results
can be displayed in bowls, potpourri balls, or used in herb pillows.
The
basic ingredients fall into four categories: Flowers for scent and color, aromatic
leaves, these represent the second largest group in a potpourri mixture and their
scent is often more powerful than that of the flowers, select those that will
harmonize well with others. Dry leaves whole and then crush some to release the
scent. Spices and peels, these have a strong aroma and should be used sparingly.
One tablespoon each to flowers and leave mixture, to obtain the best scent is
to grind dried whole spices before adding to flowers and leaves. Last but not
least is the fixative, these are available as powders and are used to absorb and
hold the other scents so they last longer. The most popular vegetable fixative
is orris root, its sweet violet scent doesnt effect a blend strongly; use one
tablespoon per cup of flowers and leaves. Gum Benzoin has a sweet vanilla scent;
use 1/2 oz to 4-6 cups of flowers and leaves.
Now you are probably wondering,
where is the actual scent to these mixtures? The actual scent is the flowers,
leaves and spices themselves, but if you prefer a stronger scent you may add the
essential oils that coincide with the flowers, leaves and spices you have chosen.
Just be careful not to dominate the subtler scents of you aromatic mixture.
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India brings to you a display of items created by craftsmen who are using their
skills to save the earth. Using old cotton rags, flowers and other materials from
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The Petals paper has real marigold or rose petals tossed onto the paper before
the sheet is sun-dried.Placing fresh leaves between the rollers makes the Leaf
paper as the paper passes through it. 
A
traditional way to capture the essence of a summer herb garden is to make a potpourri,
a mixture of colorful, fragrant flowers and leaves displayed in a poly packing
or whatever container you choose.
Potpourri
has become a term for many aromatic mixtures. There is the older moist method
of making potpourri out of pickled flowers and leaves, the moist method gives
a longer lasting perfume, but is more preserve in net packing.
Glass
Packing
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