Simmering Potpourris: Spring Decorations

March is a tricky month, blustery one day, calm the next. It's too cold to turn the furnace off so the air is still dry as dust, and walking across the carpet can be a route to electrocution from static electricity. The days are getting a little longer, but the wind is howling and it's hard to believe spring is almost here. Why not hurry it along with a handful of herbs and your kitchen stove?

Simmering potpourris have been used for centuries to scent the air and evoke a mood. And they're amazingly simple to do yourself. In winter months, there is the additional benefit of adding needed humidity to furnace-parched air.

You can use any enamel- or teflon-lined pan to simmer your potpourri on the stove or find a stove-top potpourri post. These are small cast-iron enameled pots meant to be used on a stove-burner, and have a lid with holes in the top to allow the fragrant steam to escape into the air. You can purchase any of a number of potpourri pots to use in other rooms of your house - some pots are electric and function like mini-crockpots, others have a base that holds a tealight candle. The small 'aromalamps' with the shallow glass dishes over candles are meant to be used with essential oils and aren't suitable for potpourri, since they don't hold enough water to be effective. Whichever potpourri pot you choose, remember to keep them out of the reach of small children. The contents will be steaming hot when in use.

Simmering potpourri is the essence of simplicity - a pot of water over a heat source, and a handful of herbs. I use two cups of water and about a quarter- to half-cup of combined herbs and flowers. Many commercial potpourris are nothing but woodchips that have been scented with chemicals, with a few scentless flower heads tossed in to make it look 'authentic'. Why buy wood when you can buy the herbs and flowers themselves?

The selection of herbs and flowers to use in your simmerpot is endless. Experimenting with different combinations to create the perfect scent is part of the fun. To brew up a springtime fragrance, try any of these:

lavender
chamomile (makes a soothing tea too)
hibiscus
jasmine (costly but worth it)
hyacinth
oakmoss
gardenia
orris root (the root of the iris plant)
ginger

You can use any ingredient singly, or combine to create the perfect fragrance for you. Once you have developed 'your own special blend', you can pre-mix and make up bundles wrapped in cheesecloth, ready to pop into the pot, with the cheesecloth functioning as a 'teabag' to make cleanup easier. Store pre-mixed potpourri in ziplock bags to preserve the fragrance until ready to use. Potpourri bundles can also make great hostess-gifts, presented in an attractive jar with sealing lid.

Your potpourri blend will be good for several uses; just drain the pot when done and allow the herbs to air-dry. Next time you use them, a few fresh herbs added to the brew will keep the scent fresh.