Potpourri

Potpourri is a natural air freshener made from dried flowers, leaves, seeds and cones. Pronounced po-pur-ree, it is used to make rooms and cupboards smell fresh. Anything can be added to potpourri as long as it is dry, to ensure that the contents last longer and do not become moldy. Potpourri can be arranged in bowls or stuffed into small cotton pillows to be hung in cupboards. Sachets can be placed in drawers or in shoes to leave a fresh scent. You can place loose potpourri in ashtrays in cars and in the fillings of soft toys. Scent is also usually added to the dried flowers and can be sprayed on every few days to be absorbed into the flowers. A fixative is necessary to absorb the scent, and the most often used is orrisroot. Other types of fixative include calamus root, dry lavender, tonka bean and sandalwood bark.