I have a Tardiva in my garden, but I don't think this plant is a Tardiva. The blooms on my Tardiva are more airy and bloom later than the plants where I took the cutting. The blooms on my Tardiva have no smell at all. And like you, I had never noticed any smell in hydrangea blooms before either. But this particular bloom definitely had a smell to it. I need to go back to the original plants and "smell" some of the blooms on the plants. Perhaps the bloom I had was just "a bad apple" so to speak. LOL Thanks!

Pulled these off my Carding Mill today: Here’s the plant, with the affected leaves pulled off: Thanks!

hi thanks for response, its been an outside plant for quite a few years now. though I did bring it indoors for about a month during the coldest part of winter? You think that could have done it?

Rae Anna, I do have the issue of thrips in certain roses, and have battled them for years. The worst affected roses in my garden are Evelyn, The Prince, Augusta Luise (a little), and occasionally a couple of other roses. Here are some things I've found out over the years: by the time you have thrips infection symptoms, it's too late. The tiny insects are inside the buds and blooms. They use rasping mouthparts to suck juices from the rose, and leave the ugly brown areas behind as the result. Spraying on surface acting insecticides, whether organic (like Spinosad) or non-organic, doesn't work. You have to use a systemic that gets inside the rose before the buds are made by the plant. What works for me is Bonide Granular Systemic Insecticide (on Amazon, and Walmart carries it, too). It has the ingredient: imidacloprid. This is a synthetic insecticide, but it works. I apply the suggested amount around only the susceptible roses and scratch and water it in. I do this at least 30 days before buds are formed (early spring). I had just a tiny bit of thrips in maybe three of the seven or so roses I treated. I don't think any so called organic treatment can get rid of thrips. It's a choice I've made, and I certainly have many beneficial insects and pollinators each year that are not affected. Often thrips will come around a second time later in the season. Prepare for this by doing the early spring routine. Good luck. I hope CeresMer reads this--I don't want to write it out again--ha. Diane