Using Potpourri From Your Garden

The use of potpourri for scenting homes goes way back. Not only was it used for driving away unpleasant odors when ventilation and sanitation were poor and houses damp, but it was used for curing ailments. In England, the floors of public meeting places, such as churches were often strewn with sweet smelling herbs like mints, lavender, thyme, tansy, rosemary and sage. It seems only natural that this early practice would lead to the making of fragrant bowls for scenting rooms.

Plants For Potpourri
Almost every garden contains a few plants that will yield suitable material for potpourri. Roses, lavender, carnations, sweet pea, geraniums and violets as well as herbs are the mainstay of a good potpourri mixture. The addition of spices, such as gloves, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, increase the potpourri possibilities.

Sweet Scents For The Bathroom
Fill a shallow basket, a ceramic jar or a clear glass bowl with a potpourri mixture. This keeps a bathroom smelling fresh and looks especially pretty. I like to keep a bowl of potpourri in the linen closet. Every time I open the door I get a whiff of this lovely fresh scent and the linens all have a hint of scent.

Vacation Home
If you're in a rented house that doesn't smell quite like your own, add containers of potpourri here and there to create your own scent. It's like personal perfume.

Pomander Balls
Create a fresh, citrus scented pomander ball. Traditionally oranges were used for this, but I like to use lemons and limes in the summer. Simply pierce the fruit with evenly spaced, crisscrossing lines of cloves or start at one end and make a spiral. This will be easier if you first puncture the holes with a knitting needle. As the fruit dries, the spaces between the cloves will close up. Sprinkle the fruit with a little nutmeg or cinnamon to add to the perfume. Arrange the fruit in a wooden or white ceramic bowl for a summery fresh table decoration. They even look good in a colander on the kitchen counter and will give off a wonderful scent. If you tie a ribbon around each one and hang in the closet they will keep your clothes smelling fresh.

Copyright Leslie Linsley, author
Reprinted by permission HouseNet, Inc.

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