A friend has sent me photos of her beautiful garden, so many gorgeous colors, so much pleasure. But, Fall will come and all the beauty will be gone.

We can not preserve all the freshness, but may preserve the perfume to enjoy for a long time. Lets plan and collect the petals, and save the roots of the Iris Florentina. And of course one may appeal to the friendly florist for extra petals. Here is an easy recipe:

"DRY PERFUME FOR LINENS".
"If your petals are not the highly fragrant kind, use any colorful dried rose petals, and add 8 drops of oil of roses to the recipe. Mix extremely well with other ingredients , seal and cure, shaking daily, before using. This recipe fills 24 2x2 inch linen bags.

16 cups dried rose petals 1/2 cup cinnamon, ground
1/3 cup cloves ground 12 tonka beans, chopped
1/3 cup mace, ground 2 cups orrisroot powder
1/3 cup caraway seeds, ground

Chop all ingredients together into a mealy powder; then put the mixture into little bags and lay among the linens."

I also keep a couple in my car!

Many other concoctions will be easy to prepare and a joy to give. Later I will post a recipe for orrisroot powder.

For Christmas I prepare pomanders to offer to our guests. Will post a recipe at another time.

Aether

That sounds really good Aether... I love potpourri, but I confess I've never thought of making it myself. I like the perfume of cinnamon and like caraway (seeds) in cakes and curries, plus (for me) cloves always remind me of my mother's apple pies...

But now might just be the time to try and make my own!
Thank you.

I have always wanted to make potpourri and have several oils in the house. I just never got around to doing it, I think this is a great opportunity to try it though. I have in the fall sliced apples thinly and baked them in lemon juice so they don't discolor. After baking and cooling I have shaped them into roses and used them as center pieces and ornaments..they look so pretty. I usually add a drop of oil to them to for fragrance. And cinnamon..I love it in the fall.

Thanks Sofia. I can't wait to try this...

Thanks for the recipe, my daughter and I are going to give it a try.

Nuccia,

I must try your recipe for the decorative apples, which apples do you prefer?
Do you think I can use a cookie cutter for different shapes? Can't wait until week end when I will have time!
Thanks,

Aether

Hi Sofia,

I never tried them with cutters. I sliced them about a 1/4" thick and then dipped them in lemon juice to keep them from going brown. I baked them in an hour at a very low temperature for hours until they were "cooked" but still pliable. Then I rolled the slices to form a rosebud. Put a drop or two of oil on them from fragrance.