Everlasting flowers - dried flowers and potpourri - Special Issue: Spring-Summer 1994 Garden Guide

Sunset, Spring-Summer, 1994 by Lauren Bonar Swezey

The choice of fragrance (from scented oils) is also important to her. She prefers musky scents, such as bayberry and sandalwood, for the living room and saves sweeter fragrances, like jasmine, lavender, and rose, for the bedroom and bath. To absorb and hold the scented oil, she uses orrisroot chopped into small pieces instead of orris powder, which makes the potpourri look dusty.

HOW TO MAKE POTPOURRI

Ashworth collects about twice the quantity of fresh flowers and leaves that the four recipes above call for (2 cups fresh equals about 1 cup dried) and then carefully plucks petals off flowers that aren't used whole, such as coreopsis, cosmos, and princess flower.

She breaks large flowers like crested and plume celosia, salvia, statice, and lavender into smaller pieces or clusters (you can also break salvia and lavender into individual flowers). Small flowers like ammobium and globe amaranth are used whole.

Then she lays each flower and leaf flat on a window screen (or a dehydrator tray), allowing plenty of room for air circulation. She sets the screen in a well-ventilated area out of direct sun until the flowers are crisp to touch. Petals take a day or so to dry; whole flowers may take several days, and berries and pods need at least a couple of weeks to dry.

To scent the mix, Ashworth places the orrisroot and scented oil in a gallon jar and swirls them around. Look for scented (essential) oils and orrisroot at health food stores. You can also order by mail.

Ashworth allows them to sit for three days, then mixes in the flowers, berries, and leaves. She lets the mix sit for two to three weeks, gently tilting the jar every day or so to distribute the orrisroot evenly.

At the end of that time, Ashworth checks the scent's intensity. If necessary, she adds more oil and lets the jar sit another week. When it's ready, she displays her potpourri in baskets and antique bowls. She also makes sachets (small cloth bags of potpourri) for drawers and closets.

LIVING ROOM POTPOURRI

3 cups pyracantha berries and leaves 1 cup acorn caps or eucalyptus pods 1 cup sandalwood chips 1/4 cup chopped orrisroot 1/2 teaspoon sandalwood oil

TRADITIONAL POTPOURRI

1 cup lamb's ears or artemisia leaves 1 cup globe amaranth 1 cup pink rose petals 1 cup purple blossoms (such as lavender) 1/4 cup chopped orrisroot 1/2 teaspoon rose or lavender oil

LIBRARY POTPOURRI

2 cups orange or red celosia flowers 2 cups bay leaves 1 cup pomegranate flowers 1 cup acorn caps or eucalyptus pods 1/4 cup chopped orrisroot 1/2 teaspoon bayberry or sandalwood oil

MIXED GARDEN POTPOURRI

4 cups mixed flowers 1 cup geranium, bay, bottlebrush, or similar stiff leaves 1/4 cup chopped orrisroot 1/2 teaspoon jasmine, rose, or lavender oil