What can I do with all these Gardenias ?

I did a post on my Gardenia bush a week ago telling of all the buds ready to explode into a full bloom, but this morning I went out and..... Look what is just outside my front door.

The Gardenia bush is bursting with blooms and I just can't stress enough what it

smells like.  The aroma is everywhere. 

Imagine what a Bridal Bouquet would look and smell like. It's such a shame to waist these beautiful blooms and I don't know anyone getting married this week.  How sad to know these blooms will be gone in a matter of days.

Wanting the wonderful smell in my house I cut quite a few gardenias and simply laid them in  bowls of water. Two in the living room and two more in the dining room.

I had to put one in my little bud vase on the kitchen windowsill along with a few roses I clipped from the back yard.

I just love this time of year and I love all the flowers in bloom.

 

 There are still a few hundred on the bush, just waiting for someone to create

the bouquet of their dreams.  

Or I can make my own Gardenia Perfume. Here are the instructions.

1. You will need about 4 cups of fresh gardenia petals (you can also use gardenia essential oil, if you don’t have gardenia blossoms) spring water or distilled water, 100 proof vodka (about two ounces), mortar and pestle, cheesecloth, coffee filter, a glass mason jar or any clean, wide mouthed jar with a secure lid and an empty perfume bottle. Make sure you pick gardenia blossoms that have been in bloom for a couple of days, as these are the ones with the strongest scent. Only use fresh gardenia blossoms. The best time to pick these blossoms is early in the morning, when the blossoms are at their freshest. Do not use old or damaged petals.
2. Chop up the four cups of your gardenia blossoms into small pieces using a knife.
3. Pound the gardenia blossoms with your mortar and pestle until you reach a pulpy consistency.
4. Get your empty glass mason jar. Slowly add vodka to the pounded gardenia blossoms, stirring slowly for a couple of minutes.
5. Get your cheesecloth and use it to cover the mason jar’s opening. Secure the lid of the jar onto the cheesecloth-covered opening. Make sure the lid is closed tightly.
6. Set aside the mixture for two days. The alcohol in vodka helps extract the essence of the gardenia blossoms.
7. After two days, stir in the spring water slowly into the mixture.
8. Again, set aside the mixture for two days.
9. Open the lid and smell the fragrance. A good perfume should have a balanced scent—the fragrance of gardenia and not the smell of alcohol should greet your nose. The mixture should be made to stand longer if the scent is weak. Add more spring water if the scent is overpowering.
10. After you get a balanced scent, strain the mixture using the coffee filter.
11. Carefully put your finished perfume into your perfume bottle. The perfume is now ready for use.
12. If you don’t have gardenia blossoms, simply use gardenia essential oils. Simply add around ten drops of the essential drops into the vodka. You will still be following the applicable steps you have read above; only this time, you will be replacing the gardenias.

There you have it—easy steps to help you how to make your own gardenia perfume.  You will notice that the ingredients you will be using are found in your own home or can easily be bought online or from specialty stores.  This home-made gardenia perfume is perfect for personal use or as gifts. You can also try the tips found here for making perfumes out of other fragrant flowers like roses.

  I'm going to give this a try. Off to the store I go to get the Vodka.  "Gardenias and Vodka"

 Who Knew?

I'm linking up to

Bedazzle Me Monday 

Tuesdays Garden Party

Tuesdays To Do List 

Wow Us Wednesday 

Outdoor Wednesday 

White Wednesday 

Home and Garden Thursday 

Create and Share 

Fertilizer Friday