Fragrant Roses
	As I prune my established roses and consider which new varieties to include, I always think first of fragrance. When I first planted my new rose garden at our Davis home, I chose only by color. Then, when they came into bloom, I was disappointed -- they looked beautiful, but lacked the essential rose fragrance. That's when I determined to not even consider a beautiful bloom until I was assured that it would smell strongly as well. Then, I'd look at the rest of its qualities. Exploring Scents The seven basic scents most often found in hybrid tea roses are apple, clover, lemon, nasturtium, orris, rose, and violet. Others are anise, bay, fern, geranium, honey, hyacinth, lily-of-the-valley, linseed oil, marigold, moss, orange, parsley, peppers, quince, raspberry, and wine. In general, the most highly scented roses are the ones that are darker in color, have more petals to the flower, or have thick, velvety petals. Reds and pinks tend to smell "like a rose;" whites and yellows smell like lemon, orris, nasturtium, and violet; oranges smell like clover, fruit, orris, nasturtium, and violet.  continued  Some of our favorite fragrant roses
Keeping Beautiful Roses Disease-Free Roses are a favorite in so many gardens. But let's face it, those gorgeous flowers are often accompanied by various rose diseases and pests. Is there an alternative to regular pesticide applications to keep these beauties producing the blossoms we so covet? It is possible, but it will take a little more attention to monitoring and prevention than to just fixing a problem once it has engulfed the plant. Resistant Varieties The first practice of a good rose grower should be to grow disease-resistant roses. Visit public rose gardens, botanic gardens, or your local nursery who sells AARS winning roses. Our winners are proven to start you on your way to a successful garden.   Read the most recent literature and catalogs. Breeders are constantly working on developing resistant roses, and the varieties available are expanded every year. One tip: a rose with a particularly leathery, puckered leaf is usually more resistant to leaf problems than one with smooth leaves.  continued   Quick Tips Watch for Aphids Here's a novel way of removing aphids from the buds on rose bushes: Soak a cotton cloth in soapy water. Surround the aphid-infested bud with with the cloth, then clasp gently as you pull the cloth away from the bud. The aphids wipe off nicely. Fertilize with Coffee Save your used coffee grounds and tea leaves, dry them overnight, and then toss them into the garden. Roses and geraniums are especially fond of them. These leftovers add organic matter and trace elements that plants love, but they will acidify the soil, so don't use too much.  More Tips & Resources
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