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As every good gardener knows, the practice of horticulture requires a degree of foresight and planning such as is found in few other accomplishments or hobbies. To have daffodils or tulips in the Spring, one must plant them in the Fall; to have a gorgeous display of annuals in the Summer, one must buy the seeds early in the Spring. In general, however, Summer is the time of enjoyment of such forethought. In the case of potpourri, however, Summer must be the time for thought and preparation if the rose jar is to give off its fragrance in the dark days of Winter.

If you are the fortunate owner of a lovely rose jar, which was purchased perhaps for its own ceramic beauty, you will find that your pleasure in the jar will be much greater if you can prepare for it your own supply of potpourri. Then too, the preparation of a supply of this fragrant mixture is a splendid source for Christmas gifts that will he treasured. By making your own potpourri, it is doubtful if it will have to be made more than once in a lifetime, since rose jars often remain fragrant over a period of three to four decades.

Some years ago in preparing potpourri to fill an inherited, beautiful, old jar, I made an analysis of many recipes which were found in herbals and old garden books. From these have come a fundamental recipe, which is offered here for anyone interested in preparing the fragrant mixture.

Preparing Rose Petals

Let us start with the dried rose petals. If, during the Summer season, there is a supply of rose petals available from any kind of roses, gather them late in the day when there is no dew or moisture on the flowers. The next day the petals are to be spread out in the sun on a tray, making sure they are well out of reach of a gust of wind or a possible shower. Now and then the petals may be shuffled a bit to turn them over. This drying process is to be repeated daily when the weather permits until the petals are properly dried. In this condition they should not be crisp or dark brown; but, while still retaining a certain rose-petal color, they must be free of moisture when handled. If one batch of petals is dry and others are still to come, put the dry petals in a covered dish and mix them with a pound of salt. Open the jar daily and stir the petals and salt. The salt is added to take out any remaining moisture, and the daily stirring prevents molding. After several weeks of this drying process, you will have sufficient dried petals to proceed to make your potpourri mixture.

If the season or your garden conditions have not been right for the production of roses, you should not give up trying to fill your rose jar. Dried rose petals may be purchased. Such commercially dried petals will answer every purpose except the sentimental one of producing one’s own supply.

Selecting Herbs

During the drying of the rose petals, you will want also to be drying separately sprigs of certain of your favorite fragrant herbs. In the case of a plant like the rose geranium, it takes a long time to dry the leaves because of their high water content. In deciding which plants from your herb garden to use in the rose jar, remember that really pungent plants like lemon verbena should be used very sparingly so as not to make one fragrance more noticeable than the rest.

Other Ingredients

When you are ready to assemble the ingredients, obtain a quantity of ground orris root. For two quarts of dried rose petals you will need two ounces of the ground orris root. In addition and for the same amount of petals, get one ounce of gum benzoin and four drops of Attar of Roses (if it is available). If the genuine article cannot be obtained, use a little larger quantity of the synthetic rose perfume.

You will also need in addition to the salt already recommended: three ounces of brown sugar, an ounce of brandy or pure alcohol, one ounce of whole cloves, two ounces of allspice, and one ounce of stick cinnamon. These spices are to be ground at home with mortar and pestle just before the potpourri is assembled.

Assembling the Materials

When you have secured all the above items, and you are assured that your petals are completely dried, your mixture is ready for assembling. First sift out the bulk of the salt from the dry petals, and mix together in a large bowl the dried materials, the sugar, spices, benzoin, orris and a few dried sprays of the several herbs which you have selected as being desirable. This mixture is now to be set aside in a covered jar for a period of three or four weeks, during which time the contents should be stirred once a day so that the various oils will fuse together into one pleasing perfume. This daily duty is a most delightful part of making potpourri because of the wealth of fragrance that greets you as you open the jar to stir it.

When you are satisfied that the stirring process has produced an infusion of all the odors and that the material is thoroughly dried, you can fill your rose jar, adding at the end two or three drops of the Attar of Roses in each jar, and stirring or shaking it together. If the mixture seems to be too dry, you can add a little brandy, which, with the additional rose essence, is the procedure to follow when, after four or five years, the rose fragrance has disappeared.

If the recipe recommended above has been followed in its entirety, you will find that you have a considerable quantity of this mixture, perhaps more than is needed for one large jar. Keep the surplus for use at Christmas time, when it may be made into small packets and sent to friends or used to fill the miniature rose jars often displayed in the stores at the holiday season.

A month or two after this mixture is made you may perhaps find that the smell of cinnamon or other spices is a bit predominant, but time will blend the odors and the result will be very pleasant. By midwinter you will find that you have a constant reminder of the joy of Summer, which will recall your Summer rose garden, and will provide a “conversation piece” as stimulating to the nose as to the memory.

by N Kane