Herbal Rose Posies Workshop ... AT MY ROSE GARDEN

Workshop ... Choosing a fragrant mix for your Rose Posie

A gorgeous and sumptuous posie can be made from the simplest materials and ingredients.  We use lovely, fragrant herbs to fill our rose posies.   Our herbs grow at the feet of our roses, acting as natural pest control and living mulch.   Nothing is lovelier than a carpet of fragrant herbs releasing their fragrance as you gather roses to prepare for posies.  

Fragrant herbal foliage adds depth and complexity to the rose fragrance of our posies.   So it’s important to blend the fragrance, as well as the colour scheme for each posie.  In our mixed pink posie above, we have added the subtle fragrance of a flowering salvia, it's name long forgotten, that self seeds throughout the rose garden.  It's fragrant leaves complement the soft pink and white colours of its flower spikes, adding texture, colour and fragrance to our posie. 

Lemon verbena is another herb whose fragrant leaves add a fresh citrus perfume and combines well with the early Tea rose, Lady Hillingdon.  This soft, apricot coloured rose has a fragrance with subtle fruit and citrus undertones; sometimes with a hint of fruity apricot.  Lemon, purple and apricot colours complement and contrast with the citrus fragrances in this posie. 

We often include deliciously fragrant pelargonium foliage with our rose posies.  The leaves, rather than the tiny pink flowers of the rose pelargonium, (Pelargonium graveolens), are strongly rose scented.  Their deeply cut leaves add a decorative richness and complexity to the rose perfume of our posie.  

Finally, for a  bespoke vintage look, wrap your posies in clean sheets of newsprint and tie with pretty vintage ribbon or lace.  Layer the newsprint with coloured tissue and finish with a sheet of cellophane for a slight touch of glamour.  For a uniquely personalised posie, theme the newsprint topic to match the recipient’s interests, or co-ordinate the news date with their birthday.   The fragrance of your posie will surely delight.