Fragrance of Antique Roses vs Modern Roses

3 years ago

Long ago I read a book on roses (that was written years prior to my reading, so an old book) that unabashedly said there is no modern rose whose fragrance can compare to the fragrance of antique roses, both in beauty and intensity. By the end of the book I was left with the feeling that it is sacrilege to even think a modern rose can have fragrance like a OGR.

Well I took the message to heart, and set out to garden with several OGRs that are known to be particularly fragrant. And a few modern roses that someone recommended to me as very fragrant.

was overwhelmed by the fragrance of the OGRs. And their flowing, unmeasured beauty. I could not move away from these roses or I would keep running back to my garden to smell them. The modern roses were just OK. Could not get excited by the few that I had.

This winter I ordered a very large number of modern roses after reading comments here about their extraordinary fragrance, without ever having smelled them. The only group of modern roses I have not ordered from yet are the David Austins. There certainly are a lot more adjectives describing the scent of modern roses...litchis, myrhh, clove apple....I certainly hope they give me joy.

Please comment what your feelings are about what characterizes the fragrance of modern vs OGRs. I understand that in many peoples minds there may not even be such a division. I also understand that this is a completely subjective point of view and that is what I would like to know.

Featured Answer

jerijen

3 years ago

"Old roses have horrible growth habits, poor to no repeat, disease prone foliage, very short bloom life, poor bloom weather resistance.....you name it, they're subject for it, with very few exceptions. Only two come to mind....The Fairy and Marie Pavie."

*** Please don't make the mistake of lumping such a diverse group of roses into one unfavorable mish-mash. You do yourself and others a disservice.

We grow more Old Roses than new, and in both cases, they are selected for their individual virtues and flaws. There are awkward, ugly modern roses (My husband once described Hybrid Tea Roses as ". . . ugly plants with bare bottoms.") and there are awkward, ugly Old Roses.

I have the impression from your statement that you simply selected the wrong Old Roses for your conditions and personal taste. That's a pity. But it should not discourage other gardeners from thoughtfully selecting both old and new roses which compliment their circumstances and taste.

Fragrance in roses is a wonderful thing -- but it is not the ONLY thing. Personally, decades of allergies have robbed me of the ability to detect some fragrances ... so the roses here that I personally find most-fragrant might not be that to others. Nor did I select them solely for that characteristic.

And in fact, the two cultivars that I can smell most distinctly are both climbers ... one old, its origins forgotten, and one quite new, created by Paul Barden, and named to honor a dear, late, friend:

"Secret Garden Musk Climber" . . .

. . . its origin forever a mystery, and . . .

'Mel's Heritage"

. . . which surrounds me with a warm fragrance of green apples.

If you discount either Old or New for one reason or another, you do yourself a disservice.

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