I live in Nevada, so a hot dry climate also. I have Baronne Prevost. I have read it balls badly in wet climates. Well, I do not have a wet climate and it still balls badly. So I`d say forget about that one. It is the only rose I have that does ball like that.

Oh, sorry to hear about your mother. I think it`s wonderful you are trying to do this for her.

Nin - what a great thing to do for your parents. You will need to get advice from someone who gardens in very hot and dry conditions, which unfortunately is not me. Kim Rupert, who is a rose expert and hybridizer, is on here a lot, and I believe gardens in a hot & dry environment - hopefully Kim will respond.

Jackie

Several years ago I hosted a picnic for an international club. One of the member's Mothers came and she said she hadn't been able to smell anything for over a decade.

She and I found she could smell Blush Noisette (from Roses Unlimited) and she was totally delighted by the scent. I didn't have a Rosa moschata for her to sniff, but it might also do and masses of blooms gladden all hearts.

Many hugs to you all and cherish your memories.

Hello, I live in the Phoenix, AZ area and grow a lot of roses! Now is the best time to plant!

I grow mostly old garden roses, however, which take longer to mature than modern, grafted roses you will find in the nurseries. Modern roses I grow are:

Fragrant Cloud: orangish red rose with wonderful scent
Pope John Paul II: white with wonderful scent
Julia Child: yellow
Trumpeter: orangish red; very healthy
Moonstone: pinkish white; very pretty
Livin Easy and Easy Going: easy, healthy roses
Iceberg

There are many many more. You might want to check out the East Valley Rose Society website for great information on selecting and growing roses in this area.

I've purchased most grafted roses bareroot in January. A good nursery is Bakers at 40th St and Thomas (approx.).

Also, you might want to visit the ARS rose test site at Mesa Community College, in Mesa, at Southern and Dobson. Thousands of roses planted there and you can see what you might like to purchase and plant.

Good luck and healing thoughts to your mother.

God bless you and your mother,

the most fragrant roses I've smelled include:

Baronne Prevost' a pink rose.
Papa Meilland a red rose, that has a chalice shaped bloom.
Mr. Lincoln, another red rose
Oklahoma a red-black rose

by the way, be sure and plant deep red roses in partial shade so they don't burn and crisp.

"Pope John the second" rose is very fragrant, of mixed floral.
"Lemon Spice' and Lemon Zest' are very fragrant yellow roses.

nearly everybody who sees my rose garden, enjoy the sight of Double Delight' and are even more impressed when they smell it.
creamy white centers edged with pink or red depending on the climate.

Ebb Tide' for a fragrant purple rose.

For historical interest 'The Apothecary Rose' which was used for centuries in Europe to treat both blood and womens' complaints, with its' petals being used for potpourri. I think hortico.com still sells it, under Gallica.

Pax and Moonlight for white roses that have a Musk Rose scent, both are very floriferous. hortico.com ships bareroot roses in winter and they sell Moonlight' .

helpmefind.com/ under "Plant" and "Search" shows all the above roses.

kind thoughts, love, and best wishes for healing,
Luxrosa

P.S,
a scented rose garden with lavender and rosemary, and lemon verbena around it, can uplift the spirits.

Thank you all for your kind wishes and suggestions. I am glad that it is a good time to plant in Phoenix, and thank you especially for your super fragrant rose selections. Apparently the chemo she will be doing may mess with her sense of smell, so hopefully she will be able to smell some of them.

Thank you Jasper for your insights on Arizona-- it will be nice to try some of these unique American varieties that are so rare in Europe, and I will be sure to check out the ARS garden in Mesa.

Lux I am on the same page with you in terms of the scented garden. That is just the effect I am hoping to achieve. Blush noisette I will certainly try, and I have always admired double delight and moonstone. Many good ideas, you all have my sincere thanks.

As a partner in the medical field (I work in our city's Medical Examiner's office), may I ask where the tumor is located? Depending on where it is located, it could affect senses, such as touch, sight, hearing, and scent. If it is in a place that affects the senses, you may want to ask her oncologist or neurologist if they have suggestions that may help overcome any "handicaps" with her senses, if she has any. After a few years working hospice, seeing quite a few persons with cancerous tumors of the brain, results vary. One lovely woman couldn't see certain colors as well anymore, so we made sure that her family, when they brought flowers, brought in very vivid colored flowers, so that she could see them better. Another woman had a tumor that took up much of her frontal lobe and also into her olfactory area of her brain. The olfactory area is what processes scent. She became quite agitated at the smell of lavender, partly because of her frontal lobe being damaged (it is our emotional control center) and partly because she could no longer "place" the smell.
If the tumor is in another location, disregard.
I wish your family the best and may you find some LOVELY flowers to brighten your mother's final transition.

Aurora, thanks for responding. It is the frontal lobe, and there are a few other spots. You bring up a good point, and I should find out more information if the scent is bothersome. Thank you for letting me know of the possible complications-- her sense of smell is not that good but this is before this particular diagnosis.

My Scottsdale garden is about 50-50 OGR and hybrid teas. The problem with OGRs is that you will need to buy a smaller own root plant which takes a year or more to get going, so I would stick to hybrid teas from local nurseries.

This is the perfect time to plant but be wary of stock that has been in pots in Phoenix all summer. I love Baker's nursery but I don't know if they get new stock in the fall. Try Berridge's nursery, which is in the same area, about Camelback east of 44 St. They always have potted roses.

If you can find it, Chrysler Imperial is a wonderful smelly red rose here, but I would mostly look for healthy looking plants in bloom and pick whatever appeals to you the most. Good luck - you are coming at the right time of year.

Liz

thanks all-- I was planning on buying from the Antique Rose Emporium so I do not have to rely on whatever is around at the garden centers there. Much better selection, and higher plant quality that can be guaranteed. Would like to stay away from Hybrid Teas if possible.