Helpful Guide For Planting Flowers For Future Potpourri

What is potpourri if not a mix of wonderfully fragrant plants and plant materials? The stores are filled with commercial mixes, some of which may be a bit much to take for one’s olfactory senses. On the other hand, if done properly, potpourri will add a wonderful smell to any room, in addition to a true sense of home. You will be able to attach memories to the smells that permeate your home, and if you are ready to make your own mix, it is important to carefully pick the flowers that will become your own personal potpourri.

Here is a helpful guide for planting flowers for future potpourri use:

Lavender is a staple in potpourri. It is highly versatile, will grow easily, and adds a beautiful splash of color to your garden. Consider if you wish for this plant to grow in your yard year-round, or if you only want to have a one-time use for this flower. Lavender may be found as a flowering annual plant or it may become a shrub, depending on the kind you purchase. Since it is so easy to grow, and since it is such a wonderful addition to any yard, it is highly recommended to plant a shrub and harvest the flowering portions whenever you are ready to make some potpourri.

The rose is probably the second most common plant used for potpourri. There are so many different kinds of roses available that you will be certain to find a scent you love. Sniffing mature plants is a must since several kinds of roses were created that have little scent.  Make sure that you purchase the kind of rose that will do well in your planting area, and also keep in mind its needs – full sun or partial shade. Educate yourself about the diseases that this flower is likely to fall victim to – such as rust fungus – and have some remedies already in your gardening shed. Failure to treat at first signs will probably cause you to loose your entire bloom harvest.

Reminiscent in look of lavender, the mignonette is another flower you will rely on when mixing your own potpourri. The flowers themselves do not lend a lot of curb appeal to your flower bed – they are a bit too reminiscent of a sprouting weed – but the scent is simply wonderful! Plant them in the back of a flowerbed, where you will be able to hide them a bit but also capitalize on their overall height as it adds dimension to the overall appearance of the planting area.

Spearmint is another plant that may be used for potpourri although there are few recipes making it the centerpiece. The flowers are very beautiful and the plant requires partial shade. It is important to remember that in this instance it is the leaf you will want to use for the potpourri, not the flower! Additionally, the leaves should be harvested before the plant goes into full bloom, since the heady scent they offer will diminish during the flowering season.

Once you have your potpourri put together, you may wonder why it does not smell as strong as that which you would purchase from a store. The secret that the stores use is a simple collection of man-made perfumes that saturate the plant materials for sale. This is also the reason why so much store-bought potpourri is – well – somewhat overwhelming and distasteful to many. While your home-made potpourri may not smell as strongly, it ill also not lead an assault on anyone’s olfactory senses, and instead be so much more pleasing to the senses.