A rose is a rose, as long as it has a pretty scent, says Simon Farrell.
Roses are flower royalty and, like the royal family, they have had their ups and downs in the popularity stakes. At times they're celebrated for their classic appeal, at others derided for thorny misdemeanours. But love them or loathe them, fragrant rose blooms with velvet petals, filling the air with scent, have an irresistible magnetism that's captured our emotions for centuries.
Now, fragrance is once again king. Rose breeders across the globe have realised that a rose without fragrance is pretty close to useless. Gardeners can now easily find and grow rose plants that live a healthy life, look handsome for many many months of the year, and are deliciously fragrant.
With too much choice and not enough garden space it pays to be informed before deciding which varieties to plant, so I caught up with an old colleague to get the good oil. To say he is obsessed about roses might be a bit harsh, but you get my drift.
Jonathon Cox (who works at Palmers in Remuera) is a rose oracle. Over a coffee we chat roses and without hesitation he starts, "The best-selling roses have pinkish, pastel coloured blooms, are fragrant and have a girl's name, Evelyn, Katherine Morley, Eglantyne, Anna Pavlova for starters."
