best/favorite place to go smell the roses in SF Bay area?

13 years ago

Hi,

I will soon be purchasing roses again, but I REALLY want fragrant ones this time. Although the looks of most of my already purchased roses are nice, I'm at the point where I don't want to buy another pretty face with no fragrance to it.

That leads me to my question. What is your favorite place to go and smell the roses? Anywhere in the SF Bay Area would be great.

thanks!

p.s. The rose needs to like full sun in zone usda 9/sunset 15. These are the climbers I'm considering and would like to get a whiff of:

-abraham darby

-jude the obscure

-rose of piccardy

-mme. alfred Carriere

-sombreuil

-lunar mist

-fair bianca

-new dawn

-any other highly scented climbers that you recommend

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Comments (7)

iris_gal
13 years ago
I can't smell New Dawn. Gave it away.

Abraham Darby even wafts into my bedroom window. And Royal Sunset's fragrance greets me while 8 feet away. I'm not crazy about Abe's octopus canes. Between the two I'd probably favor Royal Sunset. Don't have any of your other choices.

Isn't there a rose garden in Golden Gate Park???
chadinlg Zone 9b Los Gatos CA
13 years ago
I have Abraham Darby, pretty, smells nice, but can be susceptible to rust, not a climber, just a large shrub.

Sombreuil may have a scent, but I have not noticed (mine is not blooming at the moment)
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hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
13 years ago
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Elise
13 years ago
You will really enjoy the Garden Valley Ranch in Petaluma. They specialize in roses and have huge grounds all landscaped with roses (they do weddings too), plus roses to buy. I remember seeing a good collection of climbers when I was there this spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Valley in Petaluma
rosecats
13 years ago
Berkeley has a rose garden kind of up in the hills on Euclid Avenue. They won't have many of your roses, but they'll have some. I think Oakland also has some rose gardens, but I haven't been to them.

The rose garden in GG park may not be blooming much right now, since it's been so cool. That garden usually doesn't have much bloom, since SFO is so cool.

The Russian River Rose Co. in Healdsburg has most of your roses. They're only open by appointment in summer, but they're usually open again for weekends in October. They've got a lovely rose allee that goes into the vineyards & offers a great view of the hills - I love that place!

I agree w/ Elise - you'll enjoy Garden Valley Ranch in Petaluma. Filoli is also wonderful, and there's a museum in Palo Alto that has English roses, but I haven't been there.

If you're interested in a trek, you could explore the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery. It's a lovely place, with antique & found roses, masoleums, etc.

For me, Fair Bianca is a small shrub - I didn't know it could be a climber. It has that classic english diaper pail fragrance :) (I'm not exactly sure why Austin has so many roses w/ that fragrance!) Mme Issac Perriere (not sure about spelling) has one of the strongest rose fragrances & grows well for me in zone 9. She can be a pillar or climber & she's rarely out of bloom for me. Mme Alfred is another great!

Good luck!
davissue_zone9
13 years ago
You have to try Vintage gardens in Sebastapol, it sells old roses, and their open house at the owner's place on mother's day is to die for.

Here is a link that might be useful: vintage gardens

best/favorite place to go smell the roses in SF Bay area?

Comments (7)

iris_gal

chadinlg Zone 9b Los Gatos CA

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