[Auntiemogs]

I must admit that I only tend to grow edibles, but I do miss having a rose by my front door.  The one that I had was very thorny, not particularly attractive and didn't smell at all (inherited it when I bought the place).  I thought I'd done away with it last year but it came back as a dog rose so it's definitely a fighter! 

I'm determined to get it this year  , but thanks to Mum  , new catalogue on its way and I'm already looking forward to being greeted by the fragrance when I come home! 

[Trillium]

Auntie Mogs, why don't you grow one of the shrub roses that makes big rosehips. then you can make teas, jellies, tonics, etc from the hips. Practical and pretty at the same time. I bought 4 different varieties this spring just for that purpose. They're still in their temporary home and already I'll have a nice harvest of hips this fall.

[GYO Girl]

Wow, so many fab suggestions, I'm very grateful, thank you.   

BQ - sorry to hear the sad story of your grandad.  Hopefully in time it will become easier for you.

OG - Rambling Rector is one that I am already familiar with, as I planted one in my previous garden. I seem to remember I bought one after hearing Bob Flowerdew raving about it on a programme.  He did mention that it was quite vigorous, and boy was he right.  I planted it against an east-facing 6ft fence and it reached the top of it in its first year, then in subsequent years had to be heavily pruned to keep it from continuing skywards.  It is beautiful though, and a prolific flowerer, but I don't have the correct spot for it in this garden.

[brianbishop]

I have grown loads of different roses ,the one I would most highly recommend is climber Prince's Trust. Highly scented,  blood red prolific repeat flowerer, have had flowers in December.
Bish

[compostqueen]

I've left numerous gorgeous roses behind in my various houses. My father grew lots of roses as he used to show them, but scent was always on his list of top priorities.  Iceberg has no scent that I can discern so I wouldn't grow it now as there are other better whites

I really like Buff Beauty and Gertrude Jekyll, and if I could only have two I would choose those 

[Fairy Plotmother]

I love to look at roes but don't go as far as filling my very small garden with them. However, last summer we celebrated our ruby wedding and were given the gift of a standard DA's  Ruby Wedding. Lovely! Then on
my 60th birthday this year, my eldest daughter gave me a lovely fragrant, pink rose (don't know where from)
Mum in a Million  So, I wouldn't be without that 

[Agatha]

Buff Beauty and Gertrude Jekyll are my favourites too.  I also love Winchester Cathedral, The Pilgrim and Peace, although the last is more of a sentimental choice as it was my grandmother's favourite.  As you can probably tell, I don't share the disappointment that other forum member's have with David Austin roses!

If scent is important, I would strongly recommend you sniff before you buy, as it is such a personal thing - for example, others have commented on the disappointing scents from David Austin roses, but the scent was one of the main reasons I went for them!

[JayG]

My favourite traditional rose is Troika, both for its beautiful coppery orange flowers and heady scent.

Of my 4 DA roses, Summer Song is my favourite - beautiful blooms, even as they fade, and a good scent. Unfortunately it is the least vigorous of the four, but worth persisting with IMHO.

I also find that, to my nose, DA English roses tend not to have a powerful scent, but nevertheless it is there, and there are plenty of other flowers to knock you sideways in that respect, sweet peas and honeysuckle being two favourites of mine.

[mumofstig]

The David Austen site says that Summer Song smells

“like a florist’s shop, with hints of chrysanthemum leaves, ripe bananas and tea”

   

So, everything except rose then   

Their fragrance notes are worse than a city wine buff's - reminds me of this
Yr5CIkVl6T4

[JayG]

Very good Mum! 

(Thinks - now do I remember it more as lapsang souchong or Earl Grey with a hint of PG tips?)   

[heloise]

I love my apothecary rose, and also in particular a hybrid tea rose  called 'whiskey mac' which is orangery-ish and smells to me of sherbert. Lovely.

[Goosegirl]

I find the scent of roses depends on personal differences in both ability and discernment, plus they release their perfume at different times of day.

[GYO Girl]

My eagerly awaited David Austin catalogue has arrived. OMG I want them all! Will be sitting in the summerhouse this afternoon with a glass of wine and my catalogue and doing some serious research.  This could take some time....

[mumofstig]

Enjoy, but remember your bank balance  from a roseaholic 

(I find the Peter Beales brochure even more addictive - there's no hope for me 

[Goosegirl]

Fragrant Delight is another one that's good for scent, but Gertrude Jeykll is lovely. I find people differ in their ability to detect scent and its strength; also some roses emit their scent at different times of the day.