Evidently roses smell (or not) differently to different people, and also at different times of day, temperatures, etc. So, you might want to find a garden or park that is growing both of these, and see how they smell to you -
I have Aimee Vibert at the moment, and I've had Marie Pavie in the past. So I've smelled them both before. But I don't have them both now at the same time to compare, and I can't remember Marie Pavie that well.
I do want to say that they don't smell alike, but they've both been described as Musk scented. So is there more than one type of musk? Also, I vaguely remember a post from way back that said AV and MP may have been confused with one another in the past.
Was just curious to hear from people who have both.
I happen to have both blooming at the moment so I went out and cut one of each and sniffed and sniffed, alternating between coffee bean sniffs to clear the nasal palate (what the professional perfumiers use). No effort spared for the rose forum.
There is some similarity of scent, but AV is muskier and MP has a bit of a clove or spice note that AV doesn't have.
I will say, in my garden MP is a stick-it-in-the-ground-anywhere-and-it-will-thrive kind of plant, while AV has taken extreme effort, TLC, and patience to get going.
The flower is not that similar. AV has many more petals and is slightly cupped. MP is rather open and floppy, with prominent golden stamens. AV's stamens are essentially hidden.
Thank you, thank you for going to all that trouble. Coffee beans, huh? I didn't know that, but it makes sense! Earlier this year I read The Secret of Chanel No. 5: the Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume. It was full of stuff about the perfume industry, Chanel herself, and interesting theories about why she chose that particular fragrance as her signature, and why it became so famous.
I totally agree about the growth habits of AV and MP. I have the shrub form of AV, and I killed at least three before I finally got one to live past the band stage. It's still very small, but healthy. I almost lost it to spider mites, but I finally go those under control. Even as a tiny plant, though, it wants to bloom and bloom. So I do need to start pinching off the buds so that it puts on more growth.
Last week I noticed AV and Mrs. Charles Bell both had newly opened blooms, so I cut both of them to enjoy inside. MCB has shriveled and gone, but AV is still looks the same as the day it was cut. Who knew she'd be such a good cut flower? Can't wait until it starts making those big clusters.
I'm out of room, but there are two or three roses that I'm thinking of removing. I might replace them with a Marie Pavie.
jacqueline9CA
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