While many Tea roses are described as having a fragrant scent, in all actuality they smell muted compared to OGR (Old Garden Roses). This is why Damask roses continue to be the types grown and used for essential oil production. Their perfume is many times so profuse that it can be detected many feet from where it grows. Thus it is important, if you wish to grow an aromatherapeutic rose garden, to choose wisely when it comes to species and cultivars. Even if you are not interested in producing essential oil, potpourri, perfume, etc., from your roses, many gardeners find the smell of rose a motivating factor for tending to their plants. Guests are also likely to pick up on the sent and it can be a lovely conversation piece. What many neglect to remember is scents from natural, growing flowers are too a form of Aromatherapy. In addition to the attars, true rose and spicy scents, some roses produce an apple or fresh green scent from their leaves and braces. Many times the morning dew will encourage the sent to be carried all about your garden and even into your home. Growing fragrant roses truly can be a form of natural healing.
Finding just the right rose for your needs will of course be essential! There are a number of ways to go about doing this. One way for free and online is to use the extremely through website HelpMeFind.com. This website is like a meticulous catalog of all roses including OGR's. In addition, via the search options, you can have your specific questions answered. The informative listings for each rose many times contains valuable insight including synonyms for common names, status concerning height and such, quotes from rose books, links to nurseries to purchase the specific rose, pictures and more. This is a wonderful aid for finding that perfect Damask.
For those living in the America's or who are in need of easy to understand rose information, picking up a copy of 100 Old Roses for the American Garden by Clair G. Martin is a must. This very DK looking, glossy, photo filled book is published by Workman Publishing and sells for $17.95. This wonderful book is gorgeous to look at and is very informative. Although it at times mentions non-OGR's there is likely a good reason for doing so. The book also doesn't include items a newbie might really need including such as what to look for concerning growth pertaining to each rose but this is made up for with full color, almost full size pictures. Even though the book is not a true coffee table size and soft covered it provides a wealth of pictures and information. If anything is lacking, I suggest researching a rose further via HelpMeFind.com. This however is a wonderful first step for anyone wishing to grow aromatic roses. The author Clair (Mr. Clair G. Martin that is) does a very nice job of explaining a roses scent, if it has one. A number of roses mixed with China's and other species fail to have a pronounced scent. So simply because a rose may be considered an OGR doesn't automatically equate a profound rose scent. There would be nothing worse then spending money on roses that do not suit your needs and as Mr. Martin frequently explains, would be in the need of a good pruning with a shovel. OGR usually cost far more than Tea's, so do your research to prevent major disappointment!
Go To Page: 1 2
