225/365: "Loveliest of lovely things are they on earth that soonest pass away. The rose that lives its little hour is prized beyond the sculptured flower." ~ William C. Bryant

4 more pictures in notes above! :)

When Steve and I moved to our property here in southern Oregon, there were some plants already established around the house, including about five different rose bushes. Although they are beautiful, we have always been unhappy with them because all of them lack much scent. Even in the early morning, when flower fragrance is highest, there is next to no scent on any of our roses. We planned to replace them but have yet to get around to it. Personally, although I wish they smelled as wonderful as they look, I think it would be sad to remove them just because they don't have all of the qualities we want in a rose.

Do you know WHY some roses have a strong fragrance and others do not? I always wondered about this, and after looking around on the web I discovered the answer. The "short" answer is that crossing rose species together will often cancel out the fragrance or reduce it dramatically. Also, some pure strains do not have a strong fragrance, but they have qualities that some rose breeders want, so these roses are crossed with other strains, and resulting roses will usually lack scent. Even the most aromatic roses can be crossed and the resulting rose will lack scent or have a reduced amount. And finally, a rose, even if it's known for having a strong fragrance, may not smell as fragrant due to conditions where it is grown! If you would like to read more about this interesting subject, here's one article worth reading: Where's The Fragrance?

William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post. Wikipedia: William C. Bryant

Explored on August 14, 2013. Highest placement, page 4.