skip to main content

Interesting Damask observation today

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

As I was tending to my potted roses for the cemetery today, I caught the whiff of clove. This was odd, since none of my Dianthus are blooming yet, so I tried to sniff out the source. Of all things, it was a potted 'Quatre Saisons' sitting next to me, which had a few blooms that dropped their petals. The clove scent was coming from the stamens, just like in its grandparent 'R. moschata'. This scent is separate from the resinous scent of the sepals -- when I snipped the stamens and smelled them in my hand, all I got was clove. I suppose that when the bloom is full of petals it's hard to pinpoint the clove scent -- or perhaps it blends in to create the whole which we call "Damask scent".

Has anyone else noticed this on their old Damasks? If not, now's the time of year to discover it for yourselves.

:-)

~Christopher

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

User
8 years ago
I grew Autumn Damask briefly many years ago, so don't remember much beyond the "old rose/Damask" scent. The ones I have now are damask perpetuals, and those are much more double with fewer stamens. What you say makes sense because I feel like there is a generic "old rose" base, but the overall scent can differ according to the variety. Some smell sweeter or "drier" than others.

I've noticed the same thing with different varieties of Gardenia. Some varieties smell more "coconut suntan lotiony sweet" and others more spicy.

Carnation/Clove is one of my favorite scents in flowers. I'm jealous that you can grow Dianthus. I gave them up a long time ago. Too hot here. The only one that did well for me was Rainbow Loveliness, but that has more a powdery floral scent, no clove.

I've smelled clove in Dainty Bess and Blush Noisette, though. But it's never enough.
AquaEyes 7a NJ thanked User
monarda_gw
8 years ago
I find the Rugosas to smell of clove. Also deliciously scented Ivory Fashion, an older floribunda, now unaccountably rare. I hope it doesn't disappear from commerce.
Related Discussions
Interesting story today in Charlotte Observer
Q
Comments (5)
LOL, Carole, that is one of the reasons I no longer live there. I got the heck out of there when it became very apparent that the city and county government was more dysfunctional than a bad reality show. Those guys are insane in Charlotte. Same thing there as Wake, City of Charlotte controls 90% of what Mecklenburg county does. Mecklenburg county is bad enough on it's own but the city compounds it. And speaking of Charlotte, they would love nothing better than to control all the other counties surrounding Mecklenburg. That is very evident with all the regulatory organizations they create trying to control things outside of the count. Shoot they have even tried to annex outside of the county boundries for big moneymakers to get those tax dollars. But Sorry I got on a rant, I lived in that mess for close to 20 years, and I'm so glad to be out of the crap and crime Charlotte has to offer. I'll hush now and go back to much more plesant things like gardening! :-)
...See More
An Interesting Observation About White Pots
Q
Comments (7)
That is an interesting observation. Something similar yet different that may just apply to seedlings in general? I did two runs of bell peppers from seed as the first died of neglect. In the meantime I filled Mom's garden with nursery stock peppers likely a month older. Detirmined to try some of the mixed bag seedlings I potted them in large terra cotta colored plastic pots and placed them on a concrete pad at the end of the veggie garden. While the older plants are carrying larger fruit the potted plants clearly larger and stronger (might pot them all next year, more room for tomatos). Guess it's a combination of the heat on the concrete and the pots? Perhaps even something to the potting soil? I can't be sure but I do recall seeing some awesome potted veggie trellis plants at a nursery that were geared for apt. dwellers/ patio gardners. Certainly going to keep an eye on progress and production, could be helpful for bare root starts? Wes
...See More
Interesting Observation
Q
Comments (15)
That is a really great observation Kelly. I am not exactly certain of the answer to your question but I have some thoughts about it. One of the terms that you might have heard in relation to plants is phototropism. Phototropism is an action shown by photosynthetic plants in which they grow towards the strongest source of light. Your plant may have simply decided to stop growth due to lack of light near the ceiling. The newly forming basal growths will have a much better chance of photosynthesizing so the plant has decided to focus it's energy there. An interesting adaptation shown buy some of the rainforest climbers is to have developed negative-phototropism. By growing towards the shadiest place the seedlings have a better chance of reaching a tree and being able to lift themselves up off the forest floor and into the light. Now just how shady is it up near the ceiling because it still looks pretty bight in the photo. Who knows maybe the plant did sense that there was no where to go if it kept on that path. Hoya lobbii is not a climber so it will have a limit to the length of it's growths. Perhaps the plant has just reached the limit of it's growth potential for that particular growth. It will be interesting to see what happens when the other growths develop. Mike
...See More
Interesting observation...what do you think?
Q
Comments (26)
Nicholas' book was dated 1937. This is the HMF reference to an abreviated version of the reference. A Rose Odyssey EDIT Book (1937) Page(s) 14. Several years ago there was a discussion in American Rose Society circles about the genuineness of the American stock of General Jacqueminot. I studied the question abroad and found at Reymond's a line of magnificent everblooming General Jacqueminot, descendants of the original stock he had inherited from his Uncle Roussel, the originator. These had been improved almost to the status of a Hybrid Tea (sic) in floriferousness. We acquired enough plants from Reymond to rejuvenate our stock and the General Jacqueminot stock of Jackson and Perkins is of authentic French origin He stated in the book, through propagation in the US, the variety (and many other HPs) ran to rampant, blind growth. Think Dr. Huey suckers with little bloom.
...See More
User
8 years ago
Ivory Fashion is beautiful! Every time I visit this forum I discover another rose I want to have.
User
8 years ago
P.S. Pat at Roses Unlimited said she is out of Ivory Fashion, but I'm down for one next year. yay.

It's always hard to find less well-known roses, but it feels like it's getting harder and harder every year. Back when I first got into roses it seems like you were always able to find at least one nursery that had what you were looking for in stock, no matter what it was.

Related Stories

DECORATING GUIDES Paper Chase: Wallpaper Through the Ages to Today

By Elements of Style

Get on a decorating roll with a wall covering that's been around for centuries but comes in more exciting designs than ever

LIFE You Said It: ‘We Call It Character’

By Becky Harris

Design advice, inspiration and observations that struck a chord this week on Houzz

LIFE You Said It: ‘It’s Important to Wait’ and More Houzz Quotables

By Becky Harris

Design advice, inspiration and observations that struck a chord this week

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Energize Your Landscape With Masses of Grasses

By Donald Pell - Gardens

Create year-round interest with waves of attention-getting grasses for all kinds of yards

GARDENING GUIDES Support Bumblebees by Providing Forage in 3 Seasons

By Pollination Press LLC

Bumblebees are fascinating and fun to observe foraging in gardens. Find out how to create a buffet for these fuzzy, charismatic bees

LIFE You Said It: ‘It's Not for Everyone, and That’s Fine’

By Becky Harris

Design advice, inspiration and observations that struck a chord this week

LIFE You Said It: ‘Some Ask Why, Others Why Not?’ and Other Houzz Quotables

By Becky Harris

Design advice, inspiration and observations that struck a chord this week

LIFE You Said It: ‘Limit the Gifts’ and More Houzz Quotables

By Becky Harris

Design advice, inspiration and observations that struck a chord this week

ENTRYWAYS Grand Entry Elements: Newel Posts Past and Present

By Mary Jo Bowling

They once spoke to wealth and class, but newel posts today say more about individual style

DECORATING GUIDES 7 Tips to Sell Your Home Faster to a Younger Buyer

By Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist

Draw today's home buyers by appealing to their tastes, with these guidelines from an expert decorator

Sponsored

17 Reviews

The Leading Interior Design Studio in Franklin County

More Discussions

Marie Pavie, Chaucer, and a Peony

7

Paul Barden's Unnamed Gallica

2

Tea Rose that starts cream color, then blushes

5

Bart, how's the weather?

2

Is this even Curly Pink?

5