Who doesn’t enjoy the glorious scents of potpourri gifts at home or in the workplace, which give us that little bit of luxury. Were you aware that it was once necessary?

Castles are the source of the need for potpourri. Castles were designed with defense against arrows and rocks and thus had very narrow windows. The small windows would usually cause the dampness of the castle to reek from poor ventilation. Eventually the castles would develop a musky stench.

To hide the nasty smell of the castle, many inhabitants began using scented plants to make the air much more palatable. If they did not, the rooms would end up smelling really bad and be undesirable to live in. The oils in the herbs would eventually evaporate and the herbs themselves would begin to rot, so frequent cleaning was needed.

Typically, castles would have a room at the bottom that was used for creating potpourri. Herbs and spices were combined with brandy in these really large rooms which usually contained mixing containers. The combination would give off a very lovely fragrance. It was typical for many fragrances to have a seasonal appeal an dbe used thusly. Many of the mixing containers would sit for years before the smell would evolve and the creator would deem it ready.

 

Once the potpourri mixtures had attained the right scent, it would be sent to different parts of the castle, and to different rooms to be used as a pleasant aroma that masked the dingy smell of the castle itself. Occasional refreshing was needed to help the potpourri last for many years or even about a decade. Added alcohol was all that was needed to help the longevity of the potpourri because it aided in the evaporation of the scent into the air. Usually, the potpourri would be capped at night to help preserve the scent.

Ever think about making your own potpourri or giving it as a gift? Well, then search for free potpourri gift catalogs or just potpourri catalogs.