Reviving a Classic: Welsh Florists Bring Pot Pourri Back with Modern Eco Friendly Fragrances

Pot pourri - an iconic home fragrance staple from the 1990s and early 2000s - was once the must-have decor item in every middle-class living room.

You could count on finding a bowl of dried petals and wood shavings, a nostalgic token of comfort and status. But in the wake of the scented candle boom, led by the rise of a certain American candle company, pot pourri quickly faded from the spotlight.

By 2011, Mintel reported a 14% drop in pot pourri sales, while reed diffusers and scented candles surged by 5%, reaching £41 million.

So, could the humble pot pourri be staging a comeback?

Promenade Pot Pourri

Enter Peter and Danielle, a dynamic duo from Wales, who are on a mission to reinvent pot pourri for today’s fragrance and eco friendly conscious generation.

Peter & Danielle - Gingham Florals

The pair, founders of Gingham Florals (www.ginghamflorals.com), are bringing this nostalgic item back into the modern home with a fresh, eco-friendly twist.

Based in the picturesque village of Mumbles, at the gateway to the Gower Peninsula, Gingham Florals started as a small floristry business creating fresh flower posies for delivery across the UK.

As Peter explains, "At the end of each day, we'd have a lot of leftover flowers and materials, so we decided to experiment with drying techniques to make use of them."

What started as a way to reduce waste turned into a passion project and soon, the idea of creating handcrafted pot pourri was born.

But perfecting the art of drying flowers wasn’t easy. “The complexity of drying natural materials to the point where they don’t crumble or lose their colour and essence is much more challenging than it sounds," Peter recalls. "After many failed attempts and bowls of petal dust, we finally cracked the code. After two years of trial and error, we developed a unique drying and curing process that allowed us to create the perfect handcrafted pot pourri."

Today, Gingham Florals’ pot pourri stands out as an eco-friendly alternative to the growing market of scented candles and reed diffusers.

With sustainability top of mind for many consumers, Peter and Danielle have positioned their pot pourri as a luxury product that’s both beautiful and environmentally conscious.

Woodland Pot Pourri

Pot pourri is far from a fleeting trend. In fact, its origins trace back to the 17th century, when it was used to evoke the exotic scents of far-off lands, thanks to the burgeoning trading empire.

Gingham Florals aims to bring this timeless tradition back to life with their exclusive range of fragrances, including Promenade, Woodlands, and Shoreline.

With its carefully crafted blends and eco-conscious roots, Gingham Florals hopes to reintroduce pot pourri to a new generation - one that appreciates both the beauty of nature and the importance of sustainability.

Could it be that the classic bowl of pot pourri is poised for a stylish return?

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