As spring arrives and gardens erupt with colorful and sweet smelling flowers and botanicals, you'll to bring some of that sweet aroma inside your home to enjoy. One of the best ways to enjoy the fruits of your garden is to make your own potpourri. Aromatic potpourri can be made from almost any plant in your garden so you'll have a considerable selection of botanicals to choose from. Plus, fresh, homemade potpourri is more exciting to the senses than store bought versions which consist of mostly wood shavings and generally has a weak scent. Here's how to make your own potpourri:

Make your own potpourri: Gather your supplies

First, gather botanicals from your garden. Some plants that make appealing potpourri include roses, lavender, eucalyptus leaves, marigold blossoms, hydrangea, statice, lemon verbena, scented geranium, pansies, as well as a variety of fresh herbs. At Christmastime, you could add pinecones and cinnamon sticks. You can even used sliced dried fruits such as apple and orange in your potpourri. For summertime potpourri add some shells and smooth pieces of beach glass.

You'll also need fragrance oil or essential oil to give your potpourri its scent. Essential oils are all natural but tend to be more expensive than fragrance oil which is the synthetic version. You can find essential oils at your natural food market or health food store. It's also important to add a fixative to help hold the scent longer. For the fixative, you can use orrisroot or wood shavings which are porous enough to absorb the oils and help maintain the scent.

Make your own potpourri: Prepare your botanicals

Make sure your botanicals are completely dry before beginning. Place your botanicals into a large glass bowl along with your fixative. If you're using orris root as the fixative, add a half tablespoon per cup of botanicals. Toss the ingredients until well mixed. Use an eyedropper to add several drops of essential oil and stir the ingredients with your hands to distribute the oil evenly throughout the bowl.

Make your own potpourri: Cure your potpourri

Place your freshly prepared potpourri into a paper bag and seal it by stapling or attaching a paper clip. Place it into a dry, dark cabinet for a period of two weeks. Stir the contents every few days to allow the scent to blend well with the botanicals. At the end of two weeks your potpourri will be ready to use.

Once your potpourri is cured, you can place it into the containers of your choice. Try making some pretty sachets to hold your freshly scented botanicals or pour it into decorative jars for display in your home. You can also place potpourri into envelopes or lace pockets and drop them in drawers and closets to keep your clothing smelling fresh. You'll find endless uses for your fragrant, homemade potpourri.