I have a few that really hit the "WOW" factor in my garden. My top 4 are:

Zepherine Drouhn

Compte de Chambrod

Munstead Wood

The Prince

One's I can always depend on:

Lady of Shalott

Shelia's Perfume

Granada

Rosa Rugosa

Rosa Rugosa Alba

I'm with you, Lynn, I pick roses that have fragrance. Trying to at least. I have

Melody Perfumee,

Towering Rose Magic,

Nahema,

Golden Fairy Tale,

People's Princess,

Don Juan,

SDlM,

Super Bowl,

Dermalogica Passion...

They gave me enough of blooms this spring to say that yes, they are fragrant.

But the most surprising fragrance was from Maggie. It's a baby, I have it since October only, but it wants to bloom all the time already and the fragrance is wafting! I can't wait to have it all grown up! And now I just have to have Grand Dame :)

Scent is very subjective and given different climates and temperature conditions, it can vary wildly. For my balmy climate, nothing is as awe inspiring as Fragrant Cloud. It is so intense that I've had to stop bringing it to the office because it gives a fellow employee a headache. Number two of three would go to Firefighter. The rose is very strongly scented, but what brings it to the forefront is the classic rose scent that it carries. I have purples are strong scented and carry well in the wind, but most smell sweet without having that scent that reminds me of rose soap or rose perfumes. Lastly, I would highlight Louis Phillip (The Cracker Rose). It grows like a week in my garden, and few roses ever do. Although I'm partial to those great big hybrid tea shaped roses, this is one of the few small flowered roses that I place in prominent spots in my garden. Once established, it's flushes pump out a scent so strong that neighbors across the lake from my house have noted it's scent during summer time flushes. Again, scent is very particular to the beholder, but these three carry the honor of being the best in my garden.

Haku, your beautiful Grande Dame is so violet! Does she look that way all of the time? My only negative for her here is her fuchsia color!

I try to buy everything that is on the most fragrant lists, even if the color doesn't suit because I'm so curious about their fragrance.

I'm not sure if my personal tops are on anybody's lists but they are:

Twice in a Blue Moon

Lemon Spice

Jude the Obscure

Sharifa Asma

Grande Dame and Jude the Obscure. On the basis of her first bloom (so far) I believe Beverly will join them!

Oh! And let's not forget Savannah, perfumes the garden and lasts forever in a vase too.

One that has not been mentioned but has an incredible scent is Princess Charlene De Monaco. This new rose has impressed me with its intense citrus fragrance. It was talked about recently at the rose show. Grande Dame is exceptional in terms of fragrance. Fragrant Cloud is one of the best too when it comes to scent, but I gave up on it because of disease. Sonia Rykel, Chrysler Imperial, Sugar Moon and Evelyn top my list as well.

Oh and Beverly! Cant forget her. She's divine. I'm glad to hear Savannah has scent. Mine has only bloomed once. Lets see if next time she exhibits some scent.

Savannah has been great here but she started out with hard, flat blooms of neon coral. This year she's just gorgeous with looser blooms, soft and ethereal color, long lasting, and fragrant. I think that Moses shovel-pruned her for the former behavior!

Barbarag and SoFL, how did your Savannah start out versus how she is now?

Oh papa!!!! Papa Meilland opened today! My first one. Add that to the list. Mmmmmmmmm.

I have a brand new Savannah from Palatine roses and it is just taking off like gangbusters I can't wait for those first blooms

Savannah's foliage is excellent too Kristine and stayed green here all winter. Hope you like her!

I have several of these roses that everyone is raving about - but no fragrance yet here. Sometimes it takes a couple of years for fragrance to come in my garden. So Beverly, Firefighter, Grande Dame, Fragrant Cloud, Munstead Wood and Falstaff have no fragrance here. Maybe too cool?? And most of them are at least a couple of years old. I hope the fragrance sets in this year.

My most fragrant roses here are:

- Radox Bouquet (bare root last year and only bloomed once - but WOW!!

- Chandos Beauty!!

- Betty White

- The McCartney Rose

- Peter Mayle

- Perfume Delight

- Strawberry Hill

- Memorial Day

- Acapella

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Just have to say that there are some gorgeous photos here!!! Drool!!

Carol

I have to post a photo of Falstaff. I know others have sometimes said this one didn't work for them, but in my hot and dry yard, Falstaff is seriously impressing me today. The intense fragrance just puts him over the top! More here: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4591156/falstaff?n=16

Oh that's intensely beautiful!!! I'm going to give mine a few more years. It was the first year in my garden last year. I don't think I even got a bloom. Thank you for showing your Falstaff!

Carol

lavenderlace: just poor lighting in my house when I took the picture of the bouquet. GD is fuchsia/hot pink in color. My only complaint is her long octopus canes i get.. I always forget to support her before she gets big.. so all the canes just bend over to the ground : /

Hands down, has to be Brother Cadfael. Scent will make you swoon!

Princess Alexandra of Kent

Vick's Caprice

I do like the strong lemony scent of Brother Cadfael. Alas his repeat is not the best... Still I am keeping him as he is nearly thornless and easy to handle.

Strongest wafting scent would be Sombrieul which is the 2nd to bloom in my garden yesterday.

But in terms of fragrance quality I like best Jude, Boscobel and First Crush. I have Sharifa Asma and Alnwick coming this week and am excited to smell those blooms.

Most of my roses have fragrance even if it is very light. Eden and Alchymist (I can't remember if it has a fragrance) might be the exception. I will accept no scent if they are shade tolerant since I have some tough spots in my garden.

This year so far it's been Nahema (two on the arbor/gate into the garden). I can't help but get a whiff of her with just a few first blooms as I pass thru the gate. And, Munstead Wood. Just the shear number of blooms on MW probably is why the fragrance drifts so beautifully and hits my nose when I'm working in the garden. Really nice.

Two runners up are Guy de Maupassant. I just love that strong apple fragrance. And lastly, Pink Peace is so fruity.

Lynn, I saw Grande Dame at the Portland International Test Garden and it towered over me. I was impressed even if I was intimidated. lol Is yours that big?

My Savannah is still a baby. It was a one gallon pot and has been in the ground for about 9 months, and has been a rather slow grower for me. Especially for a Kordes. It is, however, very healthy. I have only had a couple of blooms from her and so far they have been very "cute" but I dont remember what she smelled like. I'm excited to hear she's so fragrant though as I wasn't even aware of fragrance. I bought it for her disease resistance.

Not sue it's the most fragrant in my garden, but it *is* very fragrant and my favorite rose: Rosemary Harkness. Not sue it's available in the US? I got mine as a mistake. It was a cheap, packaged rose that was supposed to be 'Orange Marmalade'. Here's one pic. What a great rose this is!

mustbnuts - I love your PAoK!!! Wonderful!!

Jim - that's the prettiest orangish rose I've ever seen!! Wow!!

Carol

My Grande Dame is only about 4' - 5', Towandaaz. It completed its first full year in my garden three months ago. I hope it becomes tall... I think...

Cynthia. Rich, lasting, wafting. A truly fabulous rose. mo idea why it's not more popular. Healthy, easy to grow, tough & floriferous.

Huge blooms; the vase is on a salad plate, not a bread plate. The blooms were beat by 2 days of heavy rain & wind. Dark pink is Cynthia.

Did anyone mention Pope John Paul ii--very fragrant! For me it is one of my best. Also, Memorial Day, Grand Dame, Twilight zone, Elle, and Munstead Wood.

Holly - love your Cynthia!! Mmmmmm :)

dizzylizzy - that makes me happy!! I've got Pope John Paul in a pot right now. :) It's a bareroot from Palantine...but it's in the garage waiting for nicer temperatures.

Carol

Totoro, please let me know if your Alnwick is fragrant. Everyone raves about the fragrance and I smell just about nothing on mine for the past three years. Finally, this year I got a small whiff of perhaps the famous raspberry fragrance everyone talks about but I think mine just might be a dud.

Sheila's Perfume.

For me has been Sharifa Asma, Sugar Moon, Francis Meilland, and Neil Diamond.

All have wafting ability.

Sarah, I keep hearing good things about Sugar Moon! Does her fragrance remind you of any other rose or is it possible to describe? Thank you!

Not off the top of my head. It's sweet, sugary a bit of classic rose and fruit. Not sickly sweet though, just strong. Its the only rose I've had more than one of, I like it that much. You can smell it from 5 feet away. It just begs you to come whiff it! The blooms start with a touch of cream in the center then turn pure white. It doesn't rain spot like most whites do. I hope that answers your question. My avatar is Sugar Moon with raindrops on it :)

Thank you and your avatar is gorgeous! Sold, can't wait to try her fragrance!

Thank you! I think you'll love it! Let me know what you think if you try it! Oh I'm excited for you!!!

I feel that way too if I find a rose to recommend to somebody and always hope that they like it as much as I do!

Sarah, my avatar is Francis Meilland so that's a great pick also!

Mustbnuts, I got my Alnwick from RU with buds and a bloom on it. I definitely smell the Raspberry fragrance that everyone talks about. But though it is pleasant even yummy, it is a rather one dimensional scent so I prefer Jude, Boscobel and First Crush to it.

Maybe when Alnwick is larger the fragrance will mature in complexity.

I also got Lady Emma Hamilton this spring. It is fragrant but perhaps too citrus or lemony to be one of my favorites. I like the warm tea fragrance or Lady of Shalott better.

Now I just have to wait for Sharifa to bloom...

Neil Diamond has really surprised me as an extraordinarily fragrant rose. It's new this year for me, had 5 big buds of which 3 were knocked off in a hailstorm. The two remaining blooms were incredibly rich and powerfully fragrant....more so than any of my old standbys, including Mister Lincoln, Double Delight, Neptune, Melody Parfume, Jude the Obscure, Chrysler Imperial , Sutter's Gold, or Fragrant Cloud. I wondered if all those stripey petals provided camoflage for a liquid perfume center, lol. It's building up a nice second flush now, I eagerly waiting to see if they still smell that good.

I bought it mainly for the wild colors, thinking it would have a decent fragrance like Scentimental and Rock n Roll, above average but just short of the very best. Now I'm wondering if it's the most fragrant thing I've ever grown.

Ben - really!!! Mine was new last year...barely bloomed...and there was zero fragrance. I was really disappointed with it. Now I'm really hoping this year for an expeprience like yours!! Your rose looks incredible!!! Sooooo beautiful!! And, wow, the scent sounds fabulous!!! Yay!!

Carol

Was out in the yard yesterday morning before work. Mary Magdalene is now blooming. Nice myrrh scent. Probably the second most scented rose next to my Brother Cadfael. I hated the scent of Ambridge Rose which had a very strong myrrh scent. I like Mary's scent. I think she is going to be a wonderful rose and am so glad she (after two years) is finally coming into her own a bit more. I think she will need another couple of years to mature (she is own root).

Mary may take a year or two longer as I am considering moving her next winter. I am not happy with Sister Elizabeth. Floppy thing that doesn't bloom very much. She needs to shape up or she is gone. Mary would move into her spot.

Still no scent on my Alnwick rose after three years. Finally am starting to get some decent blooms on him this year, however. Maybe it needs more cold than what I have to get him going.

Brother Cadfael is still my favorite for scent. Didn't get much in the way of open blooms on him this year due to weather being cold, hot, hot, hot and then cold again and now hot. Lots of flowers but they all balled. Even then, his scent is to die for.

CRESSIDA... Always Cressida!

Rebecca

Wow, Rebecca. Cressida is beautiful!

That she is, Holly! The fineset rose I have ever owned. I am working on finding someone to propagate her.

Rebecca

Contact Tom at Classy Roses. He can probably help you with propagation.

Mine might be Benjamin Britten. His coloring is Knock-Out-esqe but his form and fragrance is not! Three years ago, he was just a tiny band.

Arlene - that's quite a large rose and so beautiful!! And it's fragrant!!!

Cressida has such an old fashioned look!! Wow!!! And it's fragrant!!! Oh my!!

Carol

Barbara's pasture, Irene ford, Elisabeths china, Grandmothers hat, madam anissette, Mary rose, golden celebration, angel face, and Julia child. Scentimental and duchesse de brabant have a decent fragrance also. I also have setzer noisette and have been told it has a strong musk/ floral scent but I'm not sure I can smell noisettes that well since It smells lightly to me . I also have copperopolis bar which was described as VERY fragrant, but it's a slow establishing rose that puts most of its energy into trying to bloom , so I haven't had many blooms to smell.

rosecanadian, It helps that BB is mostly blooming right at nose-height, and it's right along a walk-way that I use often, so its fragrance is conveniently positioned for enjoyment.

My Munstead Wood it also beautifully fragrant as several others have said here, but since mine is still small I have to stoop almost all the way to the ground to enjoy it.

garden nut, I have never been able to detect any smell from my Julia Child. Funny how noses and environments can differ so much!

Here is a small pavé of Munstead Wood I cut yesterday.

Arlene - what fabulous blooms!!!! I really want my pathetic MW to have blooms like that!!! Maybe this year! Well done with the fragrant walkway!!

Carol

I am going to agree with several other posters above. My most fragrant are: Jude the Obscure, Gertrude Jekyll, and Abraham Darby.

Abraham Darby: amazing blooms, but a black-spot-ridden, awkward bush. Oh well.

Gertrude Jekyll is a much more attractive bush in my (no spray) garden.

These are both from this week. Jude is just getting ready to bloom right now.