For the Victorians, potpourri came straight from the household garden, as it had for centuries. It's pretty easy to assume that it was invented and came straight from the manufacturers who sell it neatly tucked inside a cellophane bag - but not so!

Made of dried garden flowers, spices and herbs, potpourri was primarily used in Victorian homes as a room freshener to relieve the stuffiness of stale indoor air, and packaged inside of neatly scented gifts like sachets.

Flowers, herbs, spices and even pine cones would be gathered from the garden, dried and made into potpourri. The task is not for the impatient, since most potpourri recipes take four to eight weeks to complete. But, for the Victorians, it was a part of their leisurely lifestyle. Our fast-paced modern world has forgotten many time-honored garden crafts, like making potpourri. But you can revive the tradition and experience of some of the flavor of days gone by.

Among the essential ingredients for Victorian-style homemade potpourri are colorful rose petals and buds. Unlike today's long-stemmed roses, Victorian roses are short-stemmed, grew in clusters and were more fragrant and hardy. Some nurseries stock antique roses, but if you can't find them, modern roses such as the Tropicana variety have particularly wonderful aromas.

Many other types of flowers can be added to the mixture, depending on what grows in your garden. Bleeding heart, daisies (one of my personal favorites), carnations and delphinium are all good choices - as well as being colorful and fragrant. Delicacies such as baby's breath can also be added, depending on your taste.

To add to the pleasant aroma, herbs will finish off the product. Fragrant lavender and mint have very small stems and leaves which provide contrast to the petals and larger leaves of the flowers. Other herbs to try to include are lemon verbena, rosemary and thyme. A winter mixture might consist of aborvitae, pine cones, spruce buds and various interesting seed pods.

The ingredient which helps the flowers and herbs hold their scent is called a fixative. You can purchase this at specialty shops. The Victorians used both a homemade ad commercially prepared fixative depending on the amount of time they were willing to invest.

Once you have the necessary ingredients growing, you will need to cut and dry them. Cut plants in the late afternoon when they will be the driest. Unless you specifically want buds for your mixture, choose the flowers that are in full bloom - but make sure they're not overripe. Remove all the leaves from the stems; the moisture in them will cause mildew (yuk!)

Most flowers can hang to dry for 24-36 hours. Fasten two or three blooms together with a hook and hang them where the flowers will get good air circulation, but out of direct sunlight. Use them when they are dry, but not crumbly.

Once they are dried, you will need a closed container (such as a glass jar or tin). Decide whether you wish to make moist or dry potpourri. Most potpourri, which has a heavier fragrance and lasts longer, is made with non-iodized salt, brandy, spices and perfume. When the mixture loses it scent, a shot of brandy will revive it! Dry potpourri is made with orris root and other dried spices.

For dry rose potpourri, start by placing a layer of rose petals in the jar or tin. sprinkle with coarse salt and then add another layer and so on... until the jar is nearly full. Let it sit for a few days until a froth is formed and then mix thoroughly, adding more petals and salt. Repeat the mixing daily for a week.

Now it's time to add aromatic ingredients - such as cinnamon, cloves and other spices. Mix these again and allow the mixture to sit for a few days. Then - add a couple of drops of the commercially prepared oils and mix again. Keep that jar covered except when you wish to perfume the room.

For moist potpourri - start with a layer of petals and sprinkle with about a half teaspoon of salt, and a half teaspoon of mixed powdered cinnamon, cloves, mace and allspice. You can use a half teaspoon of gum benzoine as a fixative. Alternate layers of flowers and salt, spices and fixative until the jar is full.

On top of the last layer of spice, add a teaspoon of brandy and five drops of perfumed oil. Cover and seal the jar and store it for two weeks. Then - open the jar and stir gently but thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Reseal it and store it for another two months - opening to stir once every week.

Once you've made your first batch, experiment with different ingredients to find a recipe you like. Then - sit back and enjoy the full pleasure of your creation in true Victorian style. Fill your own rose bowl for the scents of summer all year round, or share the memories of your garden by giving gifts.