Roses with intense fragrance and terrific disease resistance

By Terri Hiatt

“The fragrance of the roses remains on the hand that bestows it” Carl Bransom-2008 

My friend Carl called me at work a couple weeks ago and gave me this lovely quote.  I wondered how I could incorporate it into an article and voila’ it came to me…with his assistance, of course.

The majority of people bemoan the fact that often with the amazing increase in disease resistance in the newer rose varieties fragrance has been sacrificed.  This is true, unfortunately.  So finding roses with intense fragrance and strong disease resistance is somewhat of a challenge.  In another 10 years of brilliant rose hybridizing this article will likely be obsolete, but for now hand picking the right varieties is essential.

Listed below are some of my favorites.  They all have incredible fragrance and all have at least strong disease resistance, if not amazing. Remember to use Rose Defense (a non-toxic disease and bug spray) every two weeks during the spring months, especially, to ward off mildew and blackspot.  Do not wait to see disease.  Spray before you actually see it and keep it away.  Once you have disease you will continue to fight it throughout the season. Simply be proactive with spraying. It will make rose growing much easier.  Most of my suggestions can be found at Peninsula Gardens.  I will alert you to the ones you might have to search a bit harder for with suggestions on where to find them. Now clear your nostrils….the incredible perfume is coming!

ABRAHAM D’ARBY – An apricot David Austin 5 foot English style bloom that is simply lovely and prolific.  Austin roses tend to have thinner canes so putting them next to other perennials, dahlias and roses to help hold him up is a great idea.  Superb disease resistance.

DOUBLE DELIGHT – An oldie, but goodie.  This red and white 4 foot hybrid tea is absolutely beloved because of its prolific bloom and intense fragrance.  One of the first roses I grew.  I have always loved it.  It can get mildew if you don’t give it at least 6 hours of sun so spray with Rose Defense during the spring months to be on the safe side.

FRAGRANT CLOUD- I once had a woman tell me this rose was actually “too fragrant”….go figure. It is a shorter, stocky orange red hybrid tea.  Give it plenty of Terosa Rose Food and extra compost as it is a heavier feeder.  One bloom will perfume an entire room. That was an unintentional rhyme, by the way.

JUST JOEY – A gorgeous apricot 3-4 foot hybrid tea with tremendous disease resistance and heavenly fragrance.  The blooms are large with frilly edges.  In the winter cover the base of the rose with extra compost as it doesn’t like winter very much.

MEMORIAL DAY – This pink 5 foot hybrid tea created by the incredible Tom Carruth of Weeks Roses is sooo fragrant and sooo disease resistant.  Just simply a spectacular rose.  If you like pink and like plenty of cut flowers this is a “must have”.

MR. LINCOLN – Still a red hybrid tea other reds are compared to Mr. Lincoln needs full, full sun here in our climate and needs to be watched for mildew during the spring, but this stately beauty named after Abraham Lincoln is amazingly fragrant.

NEPTUNE – Lavender is the weakest color in the rose world, often succumbing to disease and early death during a rough winter, but always fragrant.  However this 5 foot luscious hybrid tea is a delightful exception.

Tons of exhibition style blooms (typical of a hybrid tea) that carry a lovely perfume and superior disease resistance. Yummy!

SCENTIMENTAL – A 3 foot red and white striped floribunda that has incredible fragrance.  She looks beautiful next to any red rose and even right next to ‘Double Delight’ as they have the same colors.  The two in a vase would be something.

SECRET – A James Gamble Fragrance Award winner this pink 4 foot hybrid tea sports deep pink edges and an intensely sweet, spicy fragrance. We didn’t get this beauty in the store, but Heirloom Roses (on line) and Fred Edmunds (on line) both have it.

SUNSPRITE – A much beloved bright yellow early blooming 3 foot floribunda with deep green shiny disease resistant foliage. The first rose to bloom for me in my first rose garden 30 years ago on Mother’s Day.  I still remember looking out my window and seeing it in the morning sunlight.  That was it! I was bit by the rose bug, never to look back again.

THERESE’ BUGNET – A hot pink rugosa rose (disease resistance is its middle name).  It hates pesticides so don’t spray any of it on its beautiful lime green foliage.  Very thorny, very fragrant, and supposedly deer resistant, at least in some places of the country.  Maybe not deer world here in Fox Island, but worth a shot. The deer don’t touch my Therese’ and she is right in their line of sight in my back yard.

Well since there are more fragrant roses yet to talk about I think I will continue this discussion in my next article.  There are some other fragrant roses we must talk about and then there is the rose I believe is the most fragrant in the world.  But you will have to wait 3 weeks for that.

‘DOUBLE DELIGHT’ HYBRID TEA ROSE HAS PROLIFIC BLOOM, STRONG DISEASE RESISTANCE AND ENCHANTING FRAGRANCE.

 

 

Terri Hiatt works at Peninsula Gardens as a designer and rose expert. She teaches gardening classes all over the Pacific Northwest and also at Peninsula Gardens and at Tacoma Community College in Gig Harbor and is the creator of Terosa Ultimate Once A Year Fertilizers. She can be reached at terrihiatt@hotmail.com.

 

 

 

Peninsula Gardens 5503 Wollochet Drive NW Gig Harbor, WA 98335-7319	Phone: (253) 851-8115 Fax: (253) 851-8104