Make Your Own Dry Potpourri

Cut the roses in the early morning after the dew is gone.  The fresher the flower, the more of the essential oil that will remain after the flower is dried.  Potpourri need not be composed exclusively of roses.  Add other fragrant garden flowers such as lavender, violets and freesia to mix with the roses and add fragrant or colorful leaves and herbs.

lavender

Gently pull the petals from the flowers.  You may wish to include some small leaves or tiny buds for more texture.  Select a place away from strong light, where warm air can circulate.  Spread the petals, leaves and buds on a drying rack.  Preferably a wooden one, because metal can discolor the petals.  Alternatively, place the plant material flat on layers of paper towels.  Stir or turn them every day. 

violets

Petals for dry mixtures should be completely dried, until they are like cereal flakes.  A few damp petals can spoil a whole batch of dry potpourri.  Complete drying takes from four days to two weeks.  It depends on the moisture in the petals and in the air.  If you are in a hurry, spread the petals on a cookie sheet and place them in a warm oven (110 degrees F).  Leave the door open to allow moisture to escape.  Stir the mixture gently  or shake the sheet from time to time so that the petals will dry evenly.  Drying usually takes only one to two hours this way.  However, the petals lose more of their color than when they are dried slowly.

nutmeg

To turn the petals into potpourri, mix them with spices and other fragrant material if desired.  Nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon sticks, lemon peel and other ingredients found in the kitchen add a tantalizing aroma to dry potpourri.  Add a fixative that will preserve the fragrance.  Common fixatives include orrisroot, benzoin and storax.  A quarter pound of any one of these is enough for one quart potpourri.