Easily save money while making your own chicken potpourri at home.
As a chicken owner, I know how quickly a coop can start to smell. While cuddly and cute, chickens are stinky creatures!
When I purchased my Rise Gardens, I couldn’t wait to grow all the herbs, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and lettuces I could think off. I started harvesting herbs and would dry them on pie tins on my counter. That became a pain because I had no counter space, so I invested in a dehydrator from Amazon (highly recommend!). Wait until you’re drying the herbs in this bad boy, your house will smell terrific!!
Don’t be shy when choosing herbs and flowers for your potpourri! There are so many to choose from and super fun to watch them grow in your garden! Here are some of my favorites:
- Basil
- Oregano
- Mint
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Thyme
- Marjoram
- Dill
All of which are available in the Rise Gardens store.
Personally, I am the type of person who loves to be creative (and some may say, frugal), which is why I began making the potpourri to begin with. As a non-veteran chicken owner, I’ve joined several Facebook groups to learn more from experienced owners. This is when I came across the idea of potpourri for the coop, along with the price that people charge for it, I said nope! I can grow this for much cheaper on a larger scale. This is where my Rise Garden comes into play. Between the triple Family Garden and Personal Garden, growing herbs year round is never a challenge!
The first thing I do is gather some herb scissors and a large bowl. You can even use flower petals that have recently fallen off the plant! I love to add them for color to the mix! For this batch I have started, I gathered dill, thyme, oregano, mint, sage, rosemary, tarragon, and fallen petals from my snapdragon.
Next, I get my dehydrator set up with neat little plastic screens (sold separately and see below!), they help with keeping the smaller leaves from falling through as easily. No need to take the herbs off the stems before drying, it’ll be easier once it’s done. Drying time for the herbs and flowers will depend on how full the dehydrator is. Usually around 30-40 mins is ideal, just be sure to check herbs and feel if they are “crunchy”. That’s when you know they are well dried. Otherwise, you could always end up with moldy potpourri, which would be a shame to waste such pretty herbs!
Next, take your dried herbs and pull any stems out of the leaves. They should come right out if they are dried. Then, toss all dried items into your blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle.
All are terrific ways to grind up your herbs! Once the herbs are at the size you like, use a glass jar with a lid for storage.
