A rainbow of Roses for scent

With breeders making it their mission to delight the nose as well as the eyes, the choice of fragrant roses has never been greater. Graham Rice picks favourites in very shade

- Graham Rice

PEOPLE keep saying that roses have lost their scent. But that’s just plain wrong. If our roses are not scented, it’s because we have chosen the wrong varieties. Simple as that. And with peak planting time for bare root roses fast approaching, if perfume is your priority you need only choose the best scented varieties.

It’s true that not all roses are scented. And while we tend to assume that the old roses have the best scent, this is, in part, because many of the unscented old varieties have faded away over the decades and centuries, because fewer and fewer people grew them. In fact, these days there are more new rose varieties with a good scent than there have ever been – rose breeders do everything they can to ensure that their new varieties are tops for scent. It’s only in cut roses, miniature pot roses and ground cover roses where scent is generally less impressive.

Of the five different types of rose fragrance, the majority are produced by the petals, which means varieties with fully double flowers tend to have a stronger fragrance than those with single or semi-double flowers. The exception is the musk fragrance, which is produced by the stamens. Consequently, single and semi-double flowers, which tend to have more stamens in their flowers, often have a stronger musky scent.

Fragrance and more

In addition to scent, breeders are also trying to ensure their new varieties offer disease resistance, elegantly shaped flowers, beautiful colours and so much more. It’s a real challenge! But every year more roses make the cut, and you can now choose from a whole rainbow of roses that smell as good as they look.