Discover your new favourite scent in our latest range of roses
There’s a reason the rose is beloved by gardeners all over the world. Whether you leave them to ramble in the garden, place them in a beautiful vase, or dry them as a keepsake, the smell of a rose can evoke memory and transport us to a time and place otherwise forgotten — perhaps a wedding or an anniversary or a simple golden afternoon with nan when you were just eight years old.
Generally speaking, rose scents are grouped into five categories: old rose, tea, fruity, musk and myrrh, but the scent of a rose is complex and varied. Not only do their profiles intermingle and intertwine, but a single rose can change its scent according to the time of day, almost as if on a whim. Romantic, brash and subtle all at once, there’s a lot to love about early spring when roses begin to unfurl their petals.
Old rose
Close your eyes, picture a rose and try to imagine that scent. The smell of an old rose is your classic, timeless idea of what a rose should smell like. It is often described as deep, well-rounded, and old-worldly.
Gertrude Jekyll
A short climber up to 1.8m with a strong, timeless old rose fragrance, Gertrude Jekyll is one of the first roses to flower in spring.
Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Papa Meilland
A dark, velvety crimson rose set individually on single stems, Papa Meilland has a strong old rose fragrance, with accents of geranium, carnation and peach.
someone10x, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tea
Not to be confused with a hybrid tea rose (roses growing individually on a long stem, perfect for cut flowers), tea-scented roses are sometimes likened to a just-opened bag of tea leaves or a cup of milky tea. They are also described as a little bit powdery, reminiscent of a freshly mowed lawn and a little bit earthy.
Princess Alexandra of Kent
A popular bright pink shrub rose with a strong tea scent that transforms to lemon and blackcurrants as it ages.
T.Kiya from Japan, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Leonardo da Vinci
Named after the storied painter, Leonardo da Vinci has beautifully formed double rosettes of intense pink blooms that smell of fresh cut grass and green apples.
T.Kiya from Japan, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fruity
Fruity roses smell deliciously sweet and jammy, often combining fruit, such as pear and lemons, with food, such as vanilla and blueberry compote.
Earth Angel
Also known as Herzogin Christiana, the Earth Angel rose has a delightful mixture of lemon, elderflower, champagne, and raspberries.
Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sutter’s Gold
An intensely apricot-yellow bloom on single stems with an equally intense fruity fragrance that has been described as ripe pineapple.
Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Musk
Musk-scented roses are spicy on the nose, with hints of clove, cardamom, nutmeg, and some even say sea salt. If you’re picking up the cloying scent of musk lollies, you’re in the right ballpark. We think they’re a perfect addition to Christmas wreaths or bouquets.
Just Joey
A frilly copper-coloured rose popular for its powerful and spicy fragrance, Just Joey shows off hints of orange, apricot and spice.
Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Twilight Zone
The conspicuously named Twilight Zone lives up to its namesake with large double flowers in a bewitching purple and a seductive scent of cloves and lemon.
Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Myrrh
Roses with a myrrh scent are referring not to the smell of frankincense and myrrh, but myrrhis odorata or sweet cicely, which has a distinct floral aniseed, fennel and licoricey richness.
William and Catherine
An upright, compact shrub to 1.25m with clusters of pure white roses. William and Catherine has a pure myrrh fragrance.
Wilrooij, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Claire Austin
The Claire Austin rose has beautifully formed pale lemon blossoms that age to creamy white, with a strong myrrh fragrance mixed with meadowsweet, vanilla, and heliotrope.
Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Non-fragrant roses
While there is a certain magic to smelling a rose garden in full bloom, it can be a bit too heady for some. Roses that aren’t known for their fragrance include Aspirin, Pierre de Ronsard, and Gallipoli Centenary.
We will have over 200 varieties of roses in store in mid- to late-June. View the full rose list on our Facebook page and call us to place your order.
