It's a Flora Affair
flo·ra
ˈflôrə/
noun
the plants of a particular region, habitat, or geological period.
"the desert flora give way to oak woodlands"
a treatise on or list of the plant life of a particular region or period.
plural noun: florae; plural noun: floras
Hello, I'm Marci, and I'm a floraholic.. Yes, you read that right. Be it as I stroll along in the early morning or evening, or while standing in an outdoor line any given place for any given thing, my adoration of flowers is huge:).
When you love flowers that much, of course you're going to have them throughout your living space.
The loft is always decorated with flowers, and I used to become upset when the beauties would die... but then the marvelous idea of keeping them around by creating potpourri came to me.
You would not believe how tall that clear vase is with all of the potpourri flora from my past loft bouquets is.. that was done on purpose, of course! The process of creating potpourri is fun and completely worth it. I've added a standard recipe for making potpourri below.
Basic recipe for potpourri
1. Spread the fresh petals on a mesh screen or on a large tray; place them in a warm, dry place, and stir or spread them around a little everyday until they are dry. Put dried petals in a large glass or metal bowl.
2. Add a fixative such as powdered orris root, oak moss, cellulose,ground gum benzoin or fiberfix. Use a ratio of two tablespoons of fixative to about four cups of dried material. Add the essential oils and mix with your hands.
3. Place the mixture in a paper bag and seal the top with clothespins or clips. Turn the bag over several times to distribute the fixative. Store it away from direct sunlight, and allow the mix to season for four to six weeks. Shake up the bag from time to time.
4. When the potpourri is "seasoned" place in open containers in warm places. Add a few drops of essential oils and mix with your hands from time to time as the fragrance diminishes.
Small packets of potpourri can find a home in lingerie and sweater drawers, mixed in with linens, in the folds of clothing inside suitcases, on coat hangers in the closet, at the party table as favors... almost anywhere a fragrant perfume is invited.
Aside from my product line and home and wellness site, I'm also a photographer. One of my absolute favorite things to photograph are.. you guessed it, flowers. Floral art is also fun to display around the home or loft, and what's better than the photos being actual shots that you took yourself?!?!
Marci Lundy is the Founder and CEO of 303 Face | Body, as well as creator of 303 Home | Loft | Wellness. When not working, Marci loves taking pictures and decorating the loft she shares with her husband and fur child with flowers. :)
