Potpourri
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For other uses, see Pot-Pourri (disambiguation).
A PotpourriPotpourri is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant material, used to provide a gentle natural scent in houses. It is usually placed in a decorative wooden bowl, or tied in small bags made from sheer fabric.
A dried rose. Dried flowers are a common component of potpourrisNaturally scented plants used in traditional potpourri include:
Cedar wood shavings
Cypress wood shavings
Incense-cedar wood shavings
Juniper wood shavings
Lavender leaves and flowers
Mignonette leaves and flowers
Pinyon pine cones
Rose flowers, hips, or oil
Cinnamon and Cassia bark
Marjoram
Jasmine flowers and oil
Much modern potpourri consists of any decoratively shaped dried plant material (not necessarily from scented plants) with strong synthetic perfumes (and also often strongly colored dyes) added, with the scent often bearing no relation to the plant material used. Sometimes, items which do not originate from plants are mixed in with the potpourri, to give it bulk and to make it more aesthetically pleasing. It is possible to spray scents onto potpourri, however a fixative is needed so that the scent is absorbed. Generally, orris root is used for this purpose.
The number of plant species used in potpourri is large. Researchers have identified 300 species from 95 families, including fungi and lichens. A few toxic ingredients have been found, such as fruits from Strychnos nux-vomica, the strychnine tree.[1]
Potpourri is used to give the air a pleasant smell. Potpourri is made by mixing oils, leaves, and/or dried flowers. When prepared, the mixture is enclosed in a bottle or jar, and allowed to sit for several weeks. During this time, the potpourri may smell rotten, however it soon improves.
The word potpourri comes from the French word "pot-pourri," which was the French name for a Spanish stew with a wide variety of ingredients called olla podrida. In English, "potpourri" is often used to refer to any collection of miscellaneous or diverse items. Literally, however, the word "pot" in French has the same meaning as it does in English, while the word "pourri" means rotten. The term "rotten pot" probably refers to some fermenting which may enhance the natural fragrances of a potpourri's ingredients.
A potpourri vaseIn ceramics manufacturing, a potpourri vase is a vase specifically designed for holding potpourri. In the traditional designs a potpourri container is provided with a pierced fitted lid, through which the scent may slowly diffuse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potpourri
