Fragrance is one of the most subtle and powerful aspects of roses. Since we are primarily an internet business, our description of rose fragrance is limited to the "F" designation system that accounts for strength only or anecdotes scattered through the rose descriptions. The topic, however, is multifaceted, and I have dedicated this newsletter to delving deeper into the subject of fragrance.

While researching this topic I talked with several close gardening friends to get their ideas and thoughts about roses and fragrance. The most fascinating conversation I had by far was with Conrad Johnson, a Garden Designer in Ashland, Oregon who helped us plant the gardens at lightening fast speed back in 2002 and whose friendship and work we value highly. His ideas are so compelling and insightful that I have decided to include them en masse in this newsletter. Below is an extensive quote from him about his thoughts on rose fragrance and the challenge of finding an adequate "language of scent".

"Scent affects people on a very fundamental level, and I am fascinated by the things people say and feel when talking about their reaction to a particular rose. As the reaction becomes more complex, descriptions like "Citrus" and "Moss" and "Spice" become less useful in describing the experience (not to mention "F" and "FFFF"!) and words with strong emotional undertones become more appropriate - words like "Innocence" or "Reverence" or "Sorrow".

Obviously, many people are not seeking an intense emotional experience when shopping for a rose - they are just looking to add a bit of color and pleasant aroma to a blank spot in their garden, not evoke intense childhood memories or relive an old romance. However, the deeper experience is available in the fragrance of roses - and I encourage people to explore that facet of the rose experience when deciding what to put in their garden.

Sometimes the reactions are very powerful - a single whiff can evoke an entire journey back to childhood memories long forgotten. Sometimes the memories are clearly negative and I watch the gate come down - "No, I don't want that in my garden" as if I just suggested putting a statue of an ex-lover outside their living room window. I find the effects of scent fascinating and try to get past the description of the fragrance and get more into the experience that people are having. When I see people struggling, I prompt them to elaborate by asking "What does it remind you of?" or "How does this fragrance make you feel?". The answers to these questions are far more useful in making decisions than answers like "It smells like citrus!".

Older roses seem to evoke more challenging and complex reactions from people. In many ways, modern roses have sacrificed subtlety and complexity for bright color and pizazz, and this holds true in the area of fragrance as well. Along with their bright "eye catching" colors, modern roses have relatively simple "nose catching" fragrances that don't seem to have the complexity of the OGRs."

Conrad's thoughts are still resonating with me and my own experience with roses and fragrance, and the deep emotional places that certain roses can evoke so quickly.

In fact, I decided to see if my nose would agree with Conrad’s observations on the difference between the subtlety and complexity he observes in the fragrance of many of the antiques and the simpler one note nature of many modern roses, including many Hybrid Teas. I was astounded to find out that I did agree. I also found out that I had been a rather casual observer of scent, happily content to bask in a strong rose scent rather than try to delve more deeply into the complexity of the scent itself and my own response to it. This is truly a pursuit that could occupy many spare garden moments of a lifetime. Altogether, Conrad’s comments, for those who love fragrance, constitute one more reason to get to know more of the incomparable antiques.

Some of Conrad’s favorite fragrant antiques are: Jaune Desprez (warm zones 7 and up), the other roses on his list are hardy. Belle Amour, Celestial (Celeste), Felicite Parmentier, Great Maiden's Blush, Hebe's Lip (Rubrotincta), Mme. Plantier,
. Jaune Desprez and Stanwell Perpetual bloom continuously all season.

Some other favorite fragrant antiques at RVR are: Darlow's Enigma, Gloire de Dijon, Kazanlik, Mme. Isaac Pereire, Secret Garden Musk Climber and Sheila's Perfume. Please see our special fragrance offer to learn how to receive a free band of one of these roses.

Our New Fragrance Special for March:
Buy 8 roses and select a free band of one of the following very fragrant roses: Kazanlik, Darlow's Enigma, Gloire de Dijon, Sheila's Perfume, Mme. Isaac Pereire Zephirine Drouhin

Ordering with the Discounts and Specials
Buy 10 roses and choose 1 of our $12.50 bands as a free gift. At the end of the ordering process, a window will appear for you to tell us which free band you would like. In the same input box, you may let us know if you would like 2 free roses from us that have lost their labels.

If you are a member of the American Rose Society, the Heritage Rose Foundation, or a Heritage Rose Group, you may choose to receive a 10% membership discount on roses that you order in any quantity when you provide us with your membership number and expiration date. This membership discount does not go with any other specials or sales that we offer.

	Contact us at: info@roguevalleyroses.com Phone and fax: (541) 535-1307

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