Making Homemade Potpourri & Afternoon Tea…in the Cottage Greenhouse

In my last post I wrote about the charming nook, a “flower apothecary” of sorts that I created in our cottage greenhouse. (click here to read)
Since then, I’ve been stirring up all kinds of mixtures and potpourris made from dried rosebuds, daisy petals, lavender, vanilla, jasmine, and other fragrant flowers and scents.

It’s a quiet Sunday evening and after a wonderful church service, it’s a good day to finally finish this post I started in January!

In January, life spilled over us like a wave, and my only brother, Warren, who I loved dearly, passed away from lung cancer…and my heart has been too sad to write.

Warren was always a loving, protective, big brother to me. He taught me how to ride a bike, how to play baseball, and how to catch a fly ball. Warren loved fishing and he lived just a few miles away from us in a little cabin on the lake. Even more than he loved fishing, Warren loved the Lord. I know we’ll see him again in heaven… but until that day, I’ll miss him. ❤

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die."  John 11:25-26

In the mean-time…our winter blossomed into spring, spring blazed into summer, and another school year ended for our 15, 10, and 5-year-old grandchildren. We did a lot of camping and spent days on sandy beaches reflecting and watching the waves and the sea gulls…we travelled to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, home of the “The Pioneer Woman” Ree Drummond where we visited her shops, bakery, and restaurant and had the best “melt in your mouth” biscuits we’ve ever eaten. While we were camping near Pawhuska, we drove to the National Preserve of Prairie Grass, the largest preserve of prairie grass left in the United States. The preserve covers over 40,000 acres of land and has more than 2,500 buffalo roaming wild and free on the prairie! From Pawhuska, we stayed in pine filled forests and on glistening lakes in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. We gazed at brilliant sunsets, watched a total solar eclipse, and saw the strawberry moon. We watched flamboyant Spoonbill Roseate’s, darting sandpipers, stiff-legged egrets, whiskered herons, gliding pelicans, playful dolphins, graceful deer, wild steers, lumbering buffalo…and each night, as we watched the fireflies blink on and off and listened to the crickets buzzing out their nighttime lullabies we thought, how good God is that He made all of this beautiful world and all these creatures for our enjoyment.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1

I zoomed in on this gorgeous strawberry moon that was just rising over a distant hillside while we were camping. It was the most beautiful moonrise I have ever seen. The nickname “strawberry moon” originated from the native Americans that lived in North America. The full moon in June marked the harvest season of the strawberries in the United States, so the native Americans called it the “strawberry moon.” Since 1930, the Farmer’s Almanac has been calling the full moon in June the strawberry moon.

"I see trees of green 
Red roses too
I see them bloom 
For me and for you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world."

~Louis Armstrong

Now that I sailed through the last 6 months of our lives, today’s post is about making potpourri and the Roses and Petals Potpourri I created in my own little flower apothecary.

In reading how to make homemade potpourri’s, I learned that 3 main ingredients are needed in every mixture of potpourri.

1. The main part, or bulk of the potpourri is made up of any combination of dried elements, i.e.: dried flowers, herbs, spices, dried fruit, pine needles, moss, small twigs, sprigs of cedar branches, etc.
2. A fixative. The fixative holds and preserves the scent of the potpourri. A few examples of fixatives are cinnamon, whole coriander, crushed coriander, Orris root powder (which is the ground root of the iris flower!) whole cloves, allspice, and lavender.
3. Essential oils. The essential oils augment and enhance the scent of the potpourri. (I ordered and bought a whole set of essential oils from Amazon.)

Making Homemade Potpourri Directions:

1. In a large container, place dried flowers, spices, rose hips, lavender, pinecones, orange slices…any of the dried items that you want to use to make up the “bulk” of the potpourri. These natural elements used in the potpourri mixture need to be dried or pressed before using so they won’t mold (see attached link on drying and pressing flowers)
2. Sprinkle whatever fixative you choose to use (see examples listed above – I used crushed coriander) evenly over the dried items and stir until evenly distributed
3. Add essential oils and stir until thoroughly mixed
4. Put potpourri into a sealed container, ideally for 4-6 weeks for optimal fragrance and to allow time for the scents to blend and mellow (potpourri can be used immediately after making, but the fragrance will be less intense)
5. Shake potpourri gently after it “rests” for a week, and every week after that to help distribute the fixative and the oils
6. All done! Display your homemade potpourri throughout your home in a variety of open containers…or scoop potpourri into a clear cellophane bag and tie with a wide satin ribbon, ready to give!

Rosebud & Petals Potpourri:

• 1 cup dried rosebuds
• 1 cup dried flower petals (I used daisy petals)
• 1 cup rose hips
• 1/2 cup dried lavender
• 1 Tablespoon fixative to hold and preserve the smell (I used crushed coriander)
• 6 drops rose essential oil
• 3 drops vanilla essential oil

Mix all the dried ingredients together. Add the fixative and stir thoroughly. Add essential oils (I added 9 drops of essential oil to 3 1/2 cups of my dried ingredients. However, add as many…or as few drops of essential oils to your potpourri as you want, depending on how fragrant you want your own potpourri to be) Store potpourri in sealed containers for 4-6 weeks. Shake or turn over container every week or so to blend oils.

Making my own potpourri sparks my creativity and I feel especially resourceful when I use the flowers and spices I’ve grown…then I search for the perfect potpourri container from my cache of antique and thrift shop finds! Antique sugar bowls…a dainty sherbert cup…chunky pottery bowls…a crystal candy dish…or a woven basket are all perfect receptacles for potpourri. (*If you use a basket for displaying potpourri, be sure to line the bottom and sides of the basket with wax paper, or parchment paper so the essential oils on the potpourri won’t stain or seep through the basket.)

After I got through playing and mixing up rosebuds and daisy petals, I set a tray for Richard and myself and we had afternoon tea in the greenhouse. AND…Look at this darling, cast iron teapot I bought! It’s just the right size for making 2 cups of tea and has a warming stand that holds a votive candle for heating the water in the teapot.

Afternoon tea in the Cottage Greenhouse.

"We don't remember days; we remember moments."

~ Cesare Pavese

“Remember moments” and have fun creating your own potpourri’s.

From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

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