Here are a few more shots of unscented singles--have not found their equal,scented although I'd like to see Morden Sunrise.
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although this Kathleen is extremely fragrant
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Her cheerful friend, Marjorie Faire has none.
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This is one of the prettiest roses I ever saw, no scent.
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not much aroma but a blaze of color on a foggy morning
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another Flutterbye, a nearby Spice s' Nice and Westerland fill in with scent.
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Admittedly there are far more fragrant than non in my garden and I probably have more room than some, but eye candy is kind of a lift.
la

No problem, lionheart. I just picked up on a few words used in this thread like "vain", "shallow", & "soul-less" and then I thought of some of my roses that don't have fragrance, but are great plants in the garden. I know you weren't trying to be mean or anything. If two roses were equal in all regards, but one had fragrance and the other didn't, I would choose the one with fragrance in a heartbeat. The only problem is that I have a few scentless roses that have no fragrant equal, in their own way they are unrivaled. But don't think I wouldn't be without fragrance-packed Francis Dubreuil, SdlM, Reine des Violettes, Archiduchess Elisabeth d'Autriche, etc.

Beautiful pictures, Luanne !

Randy

My Archiduchess Elisabeth d'Autriche - Highly Fragrant:
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My Francis Dubreuil - Highly Fragrant:
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My 'Adam' - No Fragrance at all, but big on soul:
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My back is feeling better. I was lucky and only bruised the left back muscle and my hip. Both are healing fine and as long as I don't press on them don't even hurt (okay they hurt but not much). BTW, I slipped going down the stairs in the evening just after midnight on 6-06-06.

One thing I have noticed about rosarians is that we are very passionate about our "hobby" and most, if not all, have definate opinions on almost everything rose-related. Sometimes a rosarian will say something that hits a button but most of the time I try to welcome passionate statements. My motto:

"Oh well, she/he IS a rosarian." LOL!

Case in point: Gertrude Jekyll

Now THERE was a woman who definately knew what she liked and disliked. And just look at the huge contributions she made to the subject of rose gardening. If it wasn't for her influence the whole cottage gardening movement never would have gotten started.

So don't feel bad for having an opinion. Its normal for R-O-S-A-R-I-A-N-S.

BTW, I still think a rose should be strongly fragrant.

Below is an image of GERTRUDE JEKYLL by Lilylover-UT stored at the Hortiplex database. This Jolly Green Giant has the honor of being the most fragrant rose that I have ever smelled. Hard prune to encourage repeat.

Fragrance is a very important consideration for me - I think I agree with Flo here that along with hardiness, it probably is one of my two top needs in a rose. Repeat bloom is also important, at least on a smaller, more tender rose, because otherwise the entire crop is at risk of being lost to winter injury, insects, deer, disease, and weather. Repeat bloomers have a backup plan :)

However, I also agree that there is a place for some roses that are good at blooming and looking fine even without much fragrance - such is the case for those in my perennial bed, which would have a lot of lag time without much flowering were it not for the scentless floribundas, polyanthas, and so-called shrub roses that keep things rolling.

I also, sadly, am in Linda's camp - Noisettes (from Blush Noisette to Mme. Alfred Carriere) are almost scentless to my nose. Some revered damasks were almost equally uninteresting, to my dismay - Kazanlik smelled to me like faint wild rose, for instance. I can, however, smell the teas and enjoy their perfumes immensely (though none are exceptionally strong, they are complex and fascinating). I also like the scent of Gruss an Aachen, which isn't overpowering but is absolutely lovely. Most other roses tickle my nose just as well as anyone's, and thank heavens for that.

I think the idea that one cannot breed for fragrance is hogwash, though. It may not be as straightforward in all cases as some breeders would like, but there is a fundamental truth to the inheritance of genetic traits that exists in spite of our lack of knowledge and understanding. It's just not that simple to prove a negative :)

I rather liked your analogy, Steven! There are, after all, certainly reasons to have beautiful partners who are otherwise vapid, vain, and shallow ;-) They just might not steal our hearts the same way.

Stefan

Fragrance in roses is extremely important to me. I believe my body and mind respond profoundly, if subtly, to scent: I remember that during my pregnancy and while working full time, I used to go after work to the perfume section of the nearby department store and just sample fragrances, out of obscure but powerful impulse. My garden is full of scented plants. I suspect a lot of other people respond deeply to fragrance.

I almost always consider scent when getting roses, with a couple of caveats. Is the class or kind of rose in question supposed to be scented? Is the variety unique? I would never in this world buy a non-scented Hybrid Tea (not that I buy them much anyway), with all the fragrant, beautiful HTs there are, but I wouldn't be without the scentless, unique, and glorious 'Mutabilis'. 'Mutabilis' isn't SUPPOSED to be fragrant, any more than it's supposed to be double. It's just fine as it is. Then, as a number of people in this thread have said, roses are individuals and more than the sum of their parts, and some roses have enough beauty and virtue to outweigh even the defect of scentlessness, though in my case the odds are heavy. I recently got my first bloom from my cutting of 'Sally Holmes' (cited by another person on this thread), and it is, in fact, lovely. It's not like any other rose I know, and even if it's not fragrant I intend to hang on to it.

My criteria for selecting roses are, not necessarily in this order, beauty of flower and plant, fragrance, good health and ease of culture, and ease of propagation from cuttings. I like roses in the landscape and viewed up close. I like roses as reasonable garden plants not just for the skilled but for the beginner. I like roses that don't gobble up resources. I like a kind of gardening where plants don't just come from the nurseries and garden centers, where the gardener experiences all the advantages and drawbacks of the market, but where plants pass from gardener to gardener, or are found in ditches and by the side of the road. My taste in roses is perhaps aristocratic, and occasionally even tainted with with snob, but I'm a garden populist.

Someone earlier mentioned buying roses with a reputation for fragrance, not finding much scent, and wondering whether to wait for improvement or shovel prune at once. One of the varieties was 'Felicia', in my experience one of the sweetest-smelling roses around. I say, wait. As someone else wrote, scent varies according to time of day, weather, and who knows what else. I know that this spring my roses have been mostly low on scent, and it's been very dry. The flowers out in the sun burned up almost at once, and their fragrance with them. Give a rose at least a year, and smell it frequently, before deciding that it really isn't fragrant.

Fragrance topped my list at one time...before I learned that if it doesn't survive the winter, it doesn't matter how good it smells.

I never thought I'd grow scentless or faintly scented roses. But then I planted White Meidiland to cover a bank. And then I added Carefree Marvel and Baby Blanket. And then I thought I'd try a couple of those Knockouts everyone was talking about. And then I ran across a Betty Prior, my m-i-l's favorite rose...

Fragrance is still high on my list, though. I have a special bond with my two Gertrude Jekylls and Rosarie de L'Hay, the first strongly fragrant roses to make it through the winter and stay here for the long haul.

Susan

Hey, Adam and Spice s' Nice are stunners. Actually, they all have pizzazz.

Here's one of my non-smellies -- Pleasant Valley, purchased from heirloomroses 3 or 4 years ago. Kind of a Mutabilis for zone 5. Kind of, but not exactly. Still, it's nice. It turns to all pink after a few days. :-)

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Is that something like Plaisanterie? It certainly does give the effect of Mutabilis, and Trier (Pl.'s other parent) did fare pretty well through the last (admittedly mild) Minnesota winter. Mutabilis for me has a wonderful, light fruity/tropical fragrance just as the flowers are in their youngest stage. Mine back home has actually done rather well, and has already begun throwing out some flowers this spring. A hardier version would be a nice touch so it wouldn't have to be fretted over so much.

Hey, Stefan. How are you?

You may be on to something there. I'm sure that Heirloom marketed it as Pleasant Valley, but that's all I can remember about it. I did check my records, and it was planted 4 years ago this month.

I emailed Heirloom with questions about it's provenance, but have not heard back.

The Plaisanterie photos on HMF are identical. :-)

Not speaking the language, I went to Altavista's Babel Fish translation, and it says the word "Plaisanterie" translates to "joke". LOL, that can't be right, or it's a very unnuanced translation.

HMF says it has slight fragrance, but I've never detected it. Unfortunately, there are many scents that are undetectable to my nose.

The blooms turn a very mauve pink once they mature, and make a stunning display in the yard. Quite the eye-catcher. Very long-lasting blooms, too. Even in the wind and rain.

As to hardiness, this past year doesn't count since it was so mild (completely hardy, though). In the previous 3 years it has suffered about 30% dieback, give or take a bit.

But that's better than Mutabilis, which I have grown in the ground here for the past few years, poor thing. M dies back completely and never gets more than 6 inches tall. It comes back and has some blooms but, no surprise, really hates it here. It's going south to a new home in a couple of days.

Thanks for finding the Plaisanterie connection!

I ordered some nice red Hts really known for fragrance this spring so I am hoping that they smell nice to me. I often find that a rose is known to be fragrant and I can rarely smell it. Still I try because there are the times that they do smell divine. Since I am quite drawn to Floribunas too I have lots of roses with no scent. But I just love the ones that crank out the bloom, scent or no scent.

I am glad this was brought back up because I have some observations I have made on fragrance in roses, as in peaches, plums, and fruits that rot quickly. Is fragrance a sign that the fruit is ripe and about to decline? Once the fruit starts smelling, it is almost past its prime. What about roses? Is the stronger fragrance a sign that the rose bloom has reached its prime and is now on the decline, and the reason florists roses last much longer than fragrant roses is that they do not have the fragrant gene that brings about early "rot" or "decline?"

Just wondering. Would like to hear others opinions on that.

Patricia, in wild species, fragrance exists to lure pollinators. If a flower in the wild lacks fragrance then it is attracting pollinators in some other way (there are many pollination strategies -- one of the reasons orchids are so amazing is the variety of pollination strategies the 25,000 species have evolved). In domestic roses, fragrance is not directly required to lure an insect or bird pollinator, so it's going to be pretty much a tossed salad in the genetics of a multi-generational hybrid. Unless the human doing the selecting makes fragrance a criterion for selection, it will not be selected for and can easily be lost. Whatever link there may have been in wild roses between fragrance and longlasting flowers has most likely been broken in modern hybrids. If there's fragrance it's either an accident (genes causing fragrance were dragged along for the ride when something else was selected for) or it is there on purpose because fragrance was selected for. I really doubt there's any functional link left.

I adore a good fragrant rose, but would have a few nonfragrant ones in my garden if they were amazing to me in some other way. I am about to plant my new Mutabilis and it can take up as much real estate as it likes, fragrance or no. Disease resistance has top priority for me 'cuz I am lazy and for environmental reasons, but fragrance is next -- I will choose colors and forms and cutting stems from what's fragrant and disease resistant.

Disease resistance is number one in my garden. Since I can't (physically) spray, and it is so hot I likely wouldn't even if I could, I want a rose that still looks good all summer, even if the only attention it gets is a quick wave in passing, as I dash from air conditioned space to air conditioned space. That said, I notice that a few of my roses have wondrous fragrances - Abe darby and louis Phillippe, for example. Most of the others smell like roses to me... but none of them has such a strong scent that I notice it unless I have my nose stuck in a bloom. One reason I grow strongly-scented daffy's, tuberoses, and lillies is because the scent can be smelled from a distance away...

nickelsmum, very interesting about the pollination. I suppose the reason many of the OGRs are not spent when they are fragrant, but in domestic roses, such as the HTs, Austins, etc., I notice a decline in the bloom as soon as the fragrance arrives, or is it just my untrained nose.

quote from molineux above, "Last October I started a thread discussing repeat bloom and how it was the most important factor I consider before buying a rose."

I have searched and searched! Is this thread no longer on the forum? If that thread is as good as this one on fragrance I really want to read it! HELP!

Karen

My Baltimore Belle will perfume your whole yard! It's big, 10 x 10. And blooms for a long time. You only need to be near it, say 10', and you will get the fragrance. That's the kind of fragrance I like. I don't have a good nose and I really don't like to plow through a cluster of thorny bushes to check out whether a rose is fragrant of not.

So as long as have a few fragrant roses that's fine.

Then I can concentrate on choosing what will survive in my climate. And perform. Like most on this site I enjoy looking out at my garden and seeing color!

So forget about fragrance as numbeer one on your list. If you do you will ignore a very long list of wonderful roses.

Now there are some very subtle traits about a great rose that should be more appreciated. Like a new rose I have, Salita. It has a startling color and a flower that opens very slowly. The bush has very healthy foliage and even the JB's avoid it. By the way the flower is very interesting. Large flat outer petals and a collection of small petals in the center. Well we'll see how it manages winter plus many other threats to its' beauty and performance.

When I was in Texas - sounds like a line from a song - I had lots of room - an acre - not so here. In Texas I planted anything that took my fancy, although I was considerably partial to Noisetts and their stinkiness. NOW - small, tiny yard so rose spots are at a premium. Nothing but a few minis has gone in here that isn't a real good stinker. I look for varieties that are winter hardy and then I want the ones with the most powerful smell - that narrows the field down considerably.

About five years ago while compiling a list of fragrant roses I was astounded by the sheer number of cultivars. After much research I came to the conclusion that even if I had thousands upon thousands of dollars to spend on my passion and unlimited acreage, I would be hard pressed to obtain all of the fragrant roses in existence before the end of my life. That was when I decided to give up on non-fragrant roses altogether. There are just too many scented beauties waiting for a chance to enrapture the senses in la jardin parfumee.

Image of MADAME ISAAC PEREIRE by Fallfeather at Hortiplex

Jim, do you have the rambler Baltimore Belle or the repeating rose??? Thanks!

Artemis

I don't believe there is a repeating BB! At least there is none listed in my old CRL. My also old Modern Roses 10 also doesn't list any. They have a HT Baltimore and a Baltimore Beauty, I didn't check to see if they were repeaters.

Molineux,

Vous pouvez m'appeller une vraie putain, mais il faut que je corrige votre français. Le mot "jardin" est masculin. Alors, c'est "le jardin parfumé," pas "la jardin parfumée."

A bientôt!

Which explains why I failed first year French and had to repeat it my sophmore year. Alright, it is le (masculin) jardin parfumé. Got it.

Molineux,

I hope you weren't offended by my post. I meant it in the most light-hearted, humorous way possible. I keep forgetting it's easy to be misunderstood on the internet. For instance, in a "rose rustling" thread, I posted a reply about rustling (stealing) some roses from Walmart, and I think everyone who read it took me seriously.

Anyway, I was hoping you'd notice that in my post above I had misspelled "appeler" and knocked my pretentious a$$ off it's high horse. :-)

XOXOXO
Laters

I had asked about the DA "The Prince" earlier in the season, and I ordered him bareroot from Hortico in the Spring. I just got the first bloom ever on him the other day, and even though I have to get down on my knees to smell it, OH MY GOOD LORD! Heavenly, out of this world fragrance, and I'm sold forever. I don't care if he does turn out to be a runty bush (he looks pretty good so far though), I'll deal with it just to get those beautiful velvety blooms that smell so good.

A rose would have to be something really really special to get by without a strong fragrance. I suppose if it were a repeat bloomer, nice bush, great bloom, etc etc etc . . . especially if it were going to go next to other fragrant plants, I might forgive little or no fragrance, but it would have to be something really special!

Fragrance is the determining factor for me because of my allergies. Sadly, many wonderfully fragrant plants and flowers (including many roses) will never be in my garden because their perfume makes me physically ill...

After fragrance, I opt for disease resistance, since I don't spray.

Did anyone save Ann's link to the story. I would like to read it or re-read it.

Patrick, Patricia and I are both trying Mystic Beauty. Mine has bloomed and the color is very close to SDLM. I'll have to check on fragrance.

Carla

My baby Ophelia bloomed for the first time today and the fragrance is amazing, very strong and sweet. Maybe candy apple and cold cream? No tea notes or myrrh. Very nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ophelia at HMF

This post (perhaps leading, among others, such as Olga's recommendations) has been an inspiration to me over the last few months as I have immersed myself into the consideration & purchase of rose bushes for the coming Spring. Fragrance has been the paramount consideration, with disease resistance a close second (remontancy third). I've spent countless hours reading these posts (it is rather addictive) - and so I'm sorely tempted to try "Reine des Violettes" (if only I could assure myself somewhat on disease resistance here, and find the space - perhaps if I cull some blueberries?).

Anyway, thanks all, very much! Will be getting:

Nur Mahal
Illusion
Apothecary
Louise Odier
Strike It Rich
Konigin von Danemark
Aloha
Westerland
Sunsprite
Rosa moschata plena
Darlow's Enigma
Sombreuil
Alba semi-plena
Compassion
Marchesa Boccella
The Bishop
Belle de Crecy
Canary Bird
Madame Isaac Pereire
Deuil de Dr. Reynaud
Lavender Lassie
Buff Beauty
Conrad Ferdinand Meyer
Violet Hood
Morning Has Broken
Applejack
Erfurt
English Miss
Autumn Sunset
Country Dancer
Capitaine John Ingram
Ispahan
Souvenir de la Malmaison Rouge
Earth Song
Erotica
The McCartney Rose
Folklore
Ghislaine de Feligonde
Paul Transon
Perle d'Or

As time, space, sunlight & finances proceed toward expiration?

We have over 100 antique, Austins and modern roses here. I would say over 95% were procured because of the fragrance. Hey, call me a biased rose growing snob but if it ain't going to open up pretty and look wonderful and smell wonderful, what is the POINT? I see perfect HT tight buds being bought at flower shops, stores, etc. and wonder why anyone would buy these for somebody! Makes me want to grab them before they hand over their money and tell 'em don't spend 75$+ for these that will soon droop and soon look ugly in a vase- give the person a wonderful rose BUSH (such as a floribunda or an antique rose) to plant that they can enjoy for YEARS... Give me a few Paul Bocuse, Cornelias, some Blush Noisettes, or Ghislaine de Feligonde roses any day!

To see recent pics of our roses and landscaping projects, ck out my Picture Trail:

careytearose

Here is a link that might be useful: look at Landscaping Projects 2007, Favourite ROSES We Grow albums

Belle,

No I wasn't offended. In fact, I appreciate the correction. At least now I know how to spell the phrase correctly. I've always loved the French language, although with my dyslexia it was/is a difficult subject to study.

Geo,

You N-E-E-D Reine des Violettes! It is simply a must have rose for the fragrance lover. Why? Because the foliage is just as fragrant as the flowers. The quality of the scent is superb. Soft and sweet without being too heavy, and a nice peppery finish. Wonderful. She ties with Souvenir de la Malmaison as my favorite Old Garden Rose. No thorns either. IMHO, the "Queen of Violets" belongs in the garden of any rosarian who loves antique roses. The Antique Rose Emporium (http://antiqueroseemporium.com), Countryside Roses (http://countrysideroses.com), and Vintage Gardens (http://vintagegardens.com) all sell her own root and virus free.

Image of REINE DES VIOLETTES by Randy (gnabonnand) previously posted at the best purple thread.
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Here is a link that might be useful: RMV free Reine des Violettes!

Love the spicy/clove scent of the rugosas--I only have 2 now, Wild Spice and Hansa (Roserie de l'Hay is prettier, & as I recall more fragrant too). The best wafter I've had to date is White Lady Banks-- I was skeptical that a rose would smell like violets, but it does! Lessee, the apple-scented foliage of eglanteria is pretty neat. Love the fruity fragrance of Westerland; hope Autumn Sunset smeels the same. Maggie is divine, and so is Sombreuil. Seems to me somebody should mention Nastarana! I was on some kinda disease-resistant kick when I ordered the first roses for the new house, and too many of the new ones have little scent. What wassss I thinkinggggg?

I'm in the minority. Color is my passion. Give me a bold, in-your-face rose any day. I even tend to avoid growing pale or white roses. Must be genetic; my grandma was always a color fanatic and my daughter is an art major.
I do love color...the louder the better. You should see my shoes!

Fragrance is a bonus, but I go for the color first. Can't help it.
-terry

Patrick,

I have actively struggled over whether to have "Reine des Violettes" many times, between your posts & Randy's. Fragrance is of high consideration (by the way, am adding "Constance Spry" and "Baltimore Belle" to the order, mainly for this reason), but I will not spray. Guess I'll find out just what impact that has on each (that & the japanese beetles) in due course.

Guess I can tolerate some blackspot (for Reine des Violette, anyway), but if so how debilitating would that be here?

Olga, please advise.

Fragrance for me is tied with disease resistance. When I drum up an image fragrance is in the foreground. A slight fragrance just isn't enough although I certainly can appreciate beauty at it's best. My yard is reserved for beauty and fragrance. A summer walk around the garden and a stop at each and every bush with blooms is what keeps me going through the long cold flower free winter. That fragrant memory keeps me buying more and more. All winter I envision blooms and more blooms with fabulous scent. I wish my yard was as bountiful as these visions. I'm working on it but yes it will require time, research, and everyone's opinions.

Ok, (Olga has advised) I'm convinced on Reine des Violettes, but, the source?

Appears to be between ARE & Vintage; I'm leaning to ARE because of the size (i.e.-not band). Don't have any experience with Countryside, how are they?

Thinking of intertwining with a golden celebration; like the idea of the purple & gold together in defoliation.

Why not Pickering?
Olga

I repeat Olga's question: "why not Pickering?" - if you want a plant that grows fast. And Pickering's RdV is very good.

Pickering, Pickering, Pickering. Grafted need not mean weak or virused - they are solid proof of that. Plant the graft union several inches below the soil, and the plant will grow like a grafted rose for the first leg of its life, then establish its own roots and abort the rootstock to continue as a own-root for the rest of its existence. How can anyone possibly lose with a best-of-both-worlds approach like that?

Stefan

Since Spring of last year I've been considering the upcoming Spring order. Early on (being, and still being, a novice) I considered graft vs. own root, and the consensus was that, though own root may intially be smaller it was more viable in the long run, due to hardiness.

So then the question was hardiness. Once again confusion reigned (USDA zone 7, almost into zone 6, but Arbor Day was solid zone 7, almost to 8, yet maybe 6, considering my zip code). Perhaps I should have been ok there, but wasn't sure if the cutoff on the hardiness question was zone 6 or 5. Depends on the rose, I suppose. YMMV.

So (for the 40 some roses ordered for about $800 or so, plus top soil, plus dehydrated manure (manure is another story-U of D recommends horse, but can't get there due to insurance issues, should check stables in area, decided to just get bagged (the manure, not personally); Home Depot cost much better than Lowe's, by the way)) all the roses I'm getting are own root (except for the Canary Bird from Hortico). And now I find the graft position??

If a year earlier........

Besides, Pickering has a minimum order of 3 (there prices DO look good, shipping appears reasonable...Phyto cert cost?). Don't know where I'd put 3 roses right now; not sure where the Reine itself will go other than I'll make room somewhere.

ok.......if I need to get 3 roses in order to order from Pickering, they have to be fragrant and they have to be disease resistant.

So.....your thoughts on Break 'O Day & Liebeszauber?

Liebeszauber is better in resistance then majority of HTs I ever tried, but still not bullet proof, of course. Not fragrant though. If you want resistant red, Illusion and Quadra are good ones, not much fragrance too.
Liebeszauber is MUCH more resistant to BS the RdV in my climate. As I mentioned before RdV is not resistant in our climate, in my opinion.

Olga

Yes, but (comparatively speaking) its resistance is fair (and the flower itself is great). Reine des Violettes appears to merit special dispensation.

Pickering has Liebeszauber as strongly fragrant...looks like for fragrance it requires a colder climate.

Already am getting Illusion (JB proof?). Longwood Gardens concurs on it & Quadra (saying Quadra has no fragrance, Illusion moderate).

Boule de Neige? Break O' Day? Bolero? Lion's Tale?

Or should I think once blooming: Celestial? Nuits de Young?
Cuisse de Nymphe Emue?

Cuisse de Nymphe Emue is mot resistant in my garden. Celestial is resistant, as well as Maxima and Semiplena. Semiplena has tonns of beautiful hips after flowering. Big and very bright. Look as good as flowers to me.
Olga

Thanks, Olga. I would have made many more mistakes than I have made without your advice.

Was already getting Alba Semi-Plena. Will be in a semi-shaded area, not too far from Apothecary (tribute to the War of the Roses; why, I don't know).

Think for the 3 I'll get Reine des Violettes, Celestial, and Break O' Day.

ok........to start planning for 2009:

(am also trying to get, irrespective of disease resistance, Rose de Rescht, Heritage, Clothilde Soupert, Joasine Hanet and Quietness for this Spring)

So far, all that comes to mind is Laguna. Perhaps Abraham Darby?

Ahem, back to the topic at hand, FRAGRANCE. Have I ever considered a rose that wasn't fragrant? Actually I have a couple of times. PEACE for example, has always been tempting. The most beautiful climbing rose that I've ever seen was a healthy CLIMBING PEACE that I saw at the botanical gardens in Norfolk, Virginia. I love the combination of pink and yellow; so soft and fresh looking, like a lovely Easter morning. Add in the interesting history and it has been sorely tempting. But no fragrance. I've been searching for years for a fragrant Peace with no luck. I've heard good things about Bella'roma but I'm waiting for it to be offered own root from a source that I trust.

Another is CAREFREE DELIGHT. Absolutely bulletproof foliage that lushly covers the plant. It actually looks like a real shrub. Singles have always been a favorite of mine and the symmetry of the five petals is perfection. The ruffled petals are alabaster white tipped delicate pink. To my mind the small flowers look like they were crafted from the thinnest slices of translucent porcelain deftly painted pink on the edges by an Italian artist. Yes the flowers are small but they literally shower the plant, blooming non-stop in clusters like a wild rose on steroids. But no fragrance. Sigh, sooooo frustrating!

Both of these roses have captured my imagination ever since I first saw them. B-U-T I have never purchased either rose because I know how fickle my heart is. I've tried growing beautiful non-scented roses before, and each and every one ended up in the compost pile.

No fragrance = death

Happy Spring,

Patrick

There are some Teas I love, which I cannot smell. Most people can -- I can't. But I wouldn't be without 'em.

I "get" some fragrances. The whole range of musk-scented roses just knock me out. I love that fragrance.
I get it in many (not all) of the Noisettes.
I remember the first time I encountered "Jacob Zeisz" (i.e., "Placerville White Noisette").
Good grief, that fragrance filled the whole motorhome. (No small trick with a few big dogs milling about.)
And the first time I encountered "Barbara's Pasture Rose."
That "La-Reine-On-Steroids" opened slowly in the motorhome, filling it with fragrance.
Fragrance isn't as important to me as disease resistance.
Still, this spring in particular, the whole garden is filled with a blending of rose fragrances.
It's a WOW.

Jeri

I think the Chestnut rose is very beautiful in spite of having little fragrance -- there must be others -- hugonis? is that fragrant?

Sorry about that, Patrick; please forgive my tangential self-absorption.

Anyway, as space is running low but still could consider another 10 (20?) roses for 2009, the only additional one I've decided on for next Spring is Laguna.

Any other recommendations for east coast zone 7 (or so, something, more or less) for fragrant, disease resistant roses?

Am getting 5 more besides the ones noted before in a few days: Rose de Rescht, Quietness, Heritage (ok-its an Austin but also has dispensation for fragrance), Clotilde Soupert & Lafter.