25 Rose Varieties That Will Make Your Garden Smell Heavenly
If you're the kind of person who likes to stop to smell the roses, then you may want to fill your garden with fabulously fragrant flowers. Along with stunning climbing roses and roses that are ideal for growing in pots, there is also a fair share of rose varieties that smell simply heavenly.
Of course, saying that a rose smells lovely is putting it mildly and doesn't take into consideration how varied and complex the aromas can be. For instance, some roses have a distinct flowery smell while others are fruitier. This could be a citrus smell or something more like berries. Other roses might have hints of honey, licorice, and a range of herbs that are sweet or spiced.
Although you might be intrigued by these aromas, you might not know how to choose the ones that are right for you and your garden. You can start by looking for roses that have a lot of petals which usually means they also have a lot of fragrance while darker petals tend to have a strong smell. Also, keep in mind that the color of the rose can give you a hint of its potential aroma. While pink and red roses have the kind of flowery smell you might expect, roses that are white, yellow, orange, and peach can have citrus, licorice, and spice scents. With this variety, you'll surely find some you love.
Autumn Damask Roses
Autumn Damask roses (Rosa Damascena Semperflorens) may impress you with their stunning pink petals as well as the fact that they can grow to be 5 feet tall. Of course, that's not to mention that they smell incredible and are fantastically fragrant. Indeed, producing the kind of strong aroma that suits this hearty flower and is even used by perfume companies, you'll be able to enjoy these old European roses — which have been cultivated by gardeners since the 1500s — when they first bloom in the spring right through the summer and into the fall.
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Charles de Mills Roses
The Charles de Mills rose (Rosa Charles de Mills) looks like a natural pinwheel that is absolutely filled with countless petals that appear to grow vertically from the center of the flower. Although there's no doubt that this is a beautiful rose, it happens to smell just as stunning. Featuring an unmistakable classic rose scent that suits the shrub, this flower has been found in gardens for hundreds of years. That makes the Charles de Mills rose a classic choice for your home which can offer the area a timeless look and scent.
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Compassion Roses
The adorably named Compassion rose (Rosa Compassion) may be new to you due to the fact that it's a modern variety of climbing flowers that haven't been around as long as others you might already have growing around your home. However, you'll surely want to know all about them — as well as add them to your garden — since they're a kind of rose that blooms into generous double blossoms, have a lovely salmon-pink shade, and create a tea-like fragrance. They also last throughout the summer, giving you lots of time to smell these roses.
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Desdemona Roses
Desdemona roses (Rosa Desdemona) have a fabulously dramatic moniker as well as breathtakingly beautiful flowers. Those striking aspects are only enhanced by the fragrance that you'll discover within their blooms. The soft petals that have a peach hue when they first start to grow before turning into more of a white shade with a touch of pink also boast a potent myrrh aroma that will fill the air around your garden. You'll also pick up hints of a classic rose scent as well as citrusy lemon, sweet almond blossom, and even a note of fresh cucumber.
Double Delight Roses
Double Delight roses (Rosa Andeli) are a fragrant variety that lives up to their name. With petals that are an ivory shade in the middle before transforming into a dark pinky-red color around the edges, this flower brings a pair of enviable hues to your garden. Depending on how much sun the flower gets, the colors will become even deeper. On top of that, these Hybrid Tea Cultivar roses produce bountiful blooms which can have around 30 petals each which all have a powerful citrus-like fruity aroma and a slight smell of spice that you may find both alluring and enchanting.
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English Heritage Roses
When you plant English Heritage roses (Rosa Ausblush) in your garden, you'll find that they produce medium-sized blooms that are filled with petals that boast a light pink blush. They also produce a strong myrrh-like scent that's filled with hints of honey and fruit as well as carnation. A flower that loves to soak up the sun while filling your yard with its gorgeous aroma, you'll also be able to clip a few blooms off and bring them inside if you want to enjoy their scent as a bouquet of cut roses.
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Fragrant Cloud Roses
With a name like Fragrant Cloud Roses (Rosa Tanellis), it would be surprising if these flowers didn't boast a charming smell. Another plant that grows to about 5 feet tall, the blooms of this hybrid tea rose also stretch to be around 5 inches wide which definitely makes them look like puffy red clouds. This size also gives them the opportunity to produce a strong aroma that ranges from fruity to rosy with hints of spice. The combination can apparently end up smelling like a pumpkin pie which is surely too delightful to pass up.
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Fragrant Plum Roses
If you're curious, the Fragrant Plum rose (Rosa AROplumi) is, indeed, fragrant. Beyond that, along with the fact that the petals are a pretty purple color that will remind you of fresh plums, its aroma also smells like the tasty fruit. A rich scent that is on the sweet side, these roses grow to be 5 feet tall as well as 4 feet wide with double blooms that are 4 inches each. This means that the sizable roses will be able to fill a large spot in your garden and flood the area with their aroma.
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Gertrude Jekyll Roses
A rich-smelling variety named after the late garden designer and horticulturalist, the Gertrude Jekyll rose (Rosa Ausbord) is a hearty flower that is easy to grow which makes it a great choice even if you're just starting to garden. It's also a plant with classic-looking formations of petals that you can keep as a stately shrub or you can let it grow to be up to 10 feet tall. The larger each plant becomes, the more room there will be for blooms that release a deep rosy aroma that's just as classic as the rose's appearance.
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Golden Celebration Roses
You'll certainly have a reason to cheer when Golden Celebration roses (Rosa Golden Celebration) bloom in your garden. The gold-yellow flowers are one of the biggest varieties of English roses and have a powerful fragrance to match. They primarily have a tea scent, however, you can also pick up tones of both strawberries and red wine. On top of smelling absolutely intoxicating — and becoming more aromatic as it gets older — you can also eat these particular roses. Although you may not have planned on dining on your roses, some varieties taste as good as they smell.
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Honey Perfume Roses
With a deliciously descriptive name like Honey Perfume Roses (Rosa JACarque), it's surely not surprising at all to find out that these flowers have the kind of wonderfully potent aroma that you'll love to have around your home. In fact, they're one of the strongest-smelling roses that you can include in your garden. The apricot-colored petals — which are a mix of light orange and yellow tones — give off a fragrance that isn't as sweet as you might expect. Instead, it's more spicey and has undertones of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
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Just Joey Roses
Despite the humble name that's been given to the fragrant Just Joey Rose (Rosa Canjujo), it's anything but a simple flower. Instead, you may find yourself falling in love with the soft yet stunning apricot color of these hybrid tea roses as well as the spots of deeper orange that can be seen deeper inside. That's not to mention the layered fragrance-filled petals that make up the 5-inch blooms and have beautifully ruffled edges. You'll also surely adore the aroma that emanates from Just Joey Roses which is just as fruity as the color.
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Louise Odier Roses
Big, puffy pink Louise Odier roses (Rosa Louise Odier) have been charming gardeners since they were introduced to the world in 1851 with both their incredible flowers and the old rose scent that burst from each bloom. The seductive smell gets an added boost with the help of the seemingly countless petals. A heritage garden rose that grows to be 6 feet high and 4 feet across, Louise Odier roses flower throughout the summer which means that you'll be able to enjoy their scent throughout the warmer months.
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Madame Alfred Carriere Roses
If you're looking for a climbing rose that smells wonderful, then you definitely need to consider the Madame Alfred Carriere rose (Rosa Madame Alfred Carriere). Give it an ideal spot in your garden with plenty of sun and the plant will happily grow up a pergola or wall. Frankly, it can end up growing to be 9 feet wide and 16 feet tall which gives it lots of room to grow large white blooms that have a slightly pink tinge to each of the many petals as well as a fragrance that's both sweet and spicy.
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Madame Isaac Pereire Roses
Madame Isaac Pereire roses (Rosa Madame Isaac Pereire) may actually boast one of the strongest scents that roses have ever gifted the world. While the petals are an eye-pleasing shade of pink that can become a rich raspberry tone as time goes on, these shades suit the fragrance that is also reminiscent of the fetching fruit. Growing up to 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide with blooms that can stretch 6 inches across, each flower can include around 55 petals that all help it produce and give off its signature smell.
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Madame Plantier Roses
Like other flowers that are fortunate enough to have exquisite blooms with an abundance of petals, Madame Plantier roses (Rosa Madame Plantier) are able to use that admirable aspect to produce a relatively potent scent that you'll surely want in your garden. Another fortunate detail is the fact that their aroma is an old rose scent that has clearly lasted the test of time. Also known as the bride's rose, it's easy to see and smell why someone who's about to tie the knot would want to carry these incredibly special flowers down the aisle.
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Mister Lincoln Roses
A popular hybrid tea rose that's admired for its radiant color, the Mister Lincoln rose (Rosa Mister Lincoln) boasts red ruffled petals that layer and fold beautifully around each other while also releasing a fantastically pleasing scent. In fact, this rose which can grow up to 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide produces a tea aroma that you may find surprisingly strong yet absolutely delightful. This flower will need a sunny spot in your garden, so be sure that you give it lots of space to grow and fill your yard with its enchanting smell.
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New Dawn Roses
Welcome each new day by spending time in your garden with New Dawn roses (Rosa New Dawn). It will surely start your morning off right thanks to the scent that comes from this climbing flower that can grow to be up to 20 feet high and 10 feet across. Frankly, this plant is so impressive it was deemed the world's most popular rose at the 1997 World Convention of Rose Societies. Part of why it's so loved is the sweet yet powerful fragrance that you'll pick up from the silver-pink petals.
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Port Sunlight Roses
The frilled and densely layered apricot and peach-colored petals that grow from the delightfully lavish Port Sunlight rose (Rosa Port Sunlight) will add a combination of soft yet vibrant shades of pink to your garden while also offering the space an alluring aroma. Not only does it feature an intense tea fragrance, but it is one of the strongest-smelling roses when it comes to the English variety of the beloved flower. Indeed, this plant is so impressive, that it's an award-winning rose that certainly deserves all of the accolades.
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Prairie Sunrise Roses
Prairie Sunrise roses (Rosa Prairie Sunrise) are a variety of Buck rose which is a shrub and will grow to be around 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It will also be covered in double blooms that are a peach and apricot color and release a strong tea aroma. Granted, you should keep in mind that this is a plant that needs quite a bit of attention. However, if you provide it will the right spot to grow and the proper sort of care, then you can enjoy this fragrant shrub for up to two decades.
Princess Alexandra of Kent Roses
If you're curious about the regal moniker, the Princess Alexandra of Kent Rose (Rosa Princess Alexandra of Kent) was named after the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Along with their royal connection, these flowers also have a somewhat complex appearance which only adds to their charming appeal. The same can certainly be said of their fragrance. Instead of simply producing one aroma, this amazing flower creates multiple smells that change as the season passes. The petals also go through a mesmerizing transition from salmon-colored buds to divine pink flowers.
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Radiant Perfume Roses
The strong aroma that gives the Radiant Perfume roses (Rosa Radiant Perfume or Rosa JACadnof) its name is just as rich as you might expect. It also has a citrus base which seems to suit the vibrant yellow flowers. In fact, some might say it smells like lemons which is pretty darn perfect. While Radiant Perfume roses will grow well in your garden and fill with a heavenly smell, they are also an ideal choice for cutting. This means you can bring them inside and enjoy their scent in your home.
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Rambling Rector Roses
Not every plant needs a sunny spot in order to grow well and produce the kind of pleasing scent that will make your garden a dreamy spot to spend time in. For instance, the fantastically unique Rambling Rector rose (Rosa Rambling Rector) is a climbing plant that is perfectly happy to spend its life in a nice shady place around your home. Although it has a similar look to a white clematis thanks to its heavenly petals and yellow interior, this rose grows double blooms with an inviting clove-y aroma.
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Roseraie de l'Hay Roses
If you've been thinking about adding shrubs to your garden, then you may want something that produces fragrant flowers like the Roseraie de l'Hay rose (Rosa Roseraie de l'Hay). These eye-catching roses which are a purple-crimson color are frilly around the edges and yet each relatively loose petal lays almost flat when the flower fully blooms. At this point — and as the roses continue to bloom throughout their lengthy season — you'll also find the Roseraie de l'Hay rose emits an intense aroma that is sweet and has hints of a nutty almond smell.
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Violet's Pride Roses
There's no denying the fact that the name given to Violet's Pride roses (Rosa Violet's Pride) seems to describe the color of the frilly flower which is, indeed, a pinky shade of purple. At the same time, the moniker is actually a nod to Lady Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, from the show "Downton Abbey." Although the flowers look light and soft, they produce a strong aroma that has both fruity and spicy tones. Looking somewhat frail and yet intensely spicy? That certainly sounds like the fictional Dowager Countess.
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