Once a potpourri smells and looks good, you must preserve and strengtlen its scent. Orris is the best fixative, and should be used chipped, not powdered. It has no scent of its own, but helps preserve others.

Other fixatives, such as myrrh and sweet woodruff, help to prolong the fragrance of other ingredients, but orris root is the most commonly used.

Although the amount of fixative used will depend on the strength ofo the other ingredients, about a tablespoonful of orris for each cup of potpourri is usually about right.

Some ingredients, including spices, are strong and long-lasting enough to hold their scent without a fixative. But nearly any potpourri will last longer if one is used.