English rose is among one of the most popular types of roses in the world. While it is renowned for its classic beauty, the English rose is also lauded for its alluring aroma.
English roses have an incredible range of different aromas across the entire group of roses.
We will be focusing on the four main sections of English rose fragrances: myrrh fragrance, old rose fragrance, tea rose fragrance, and fruity fragrance.
Myrrh Fragrance
The earliest varieties of roses had an incredible, unique spicy fragrance, named myrrh. We will discuss three of the most myrrh-fragrant English roses that you can plant in your garden.
Belle Isis English Rose
Belle Isis rose was bred by Louis-Joseph-Ghislain Parmentier in Belgium, in 1845.
| COLOR: Light Pink | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Strong Myrrh Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 5ft | FLOWERING: Once Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
Belle Isis is a rose of short growth, with full-petalled flowers that open flat. It is perfect for small gardens, because of its short growth.
While most rose bushes should be pruned in the early spring, the Belle Isis rose is unique in that it should be pruned after it has flowered.
You can usually expect your Belle Isis bush to flower in the spring or summer.
They are a once-flowering rose bush, so once flowering is complete, they are finished for the season.
When it is time to prune, cut back any damaged foliage before cutting away any canes that cross over.
Ayrshire Splendens English Rose
| COLOR: Light Pink | BLOOM SIZE: Small To Medium | FRAGRANCE: Strong Myrrh Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 20ft | FLOWERING: Once Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Ayrshire Splendens is another once-blooming rose variety, so it’s important to make the most of your bloom by fertilizing your plants.
Select a rose fertilizer that has a slightly higher content of phosphorous, which is the element for strong flower development.
Steer away from anything that has a higher nitrogen content.
While nitrogen does have a time and place (it’s helpful in developing foliage), it hinders the plant’s ability to produce roses and it is not appropriate for the situation.
Chaucer English Rose
Chaucer rose was bred by David C. H. Austin in United Kingdom, in 1970.
| COLOR: Pink | BLOOM SIZE: Large | FRAGRANCE: Strong Myrrh Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
Chaucer rose is a compact bush with very fragrant large flowers.
It is strong and upright, often producing flowers in clusters.
The Chaucer rose has a susceptibility to mildew and rust, but with some simple changes, you can swiftly avoid ever having a run-in with these fungal diseases.
The foremost way to prevent fungus is by minimizing getting your plant wet.
Avoid watering your plants overhead and plant them in a location where they won’t be continually splashed by lawn irrigation sprinklers.
When you are watering your roses, water as close to the base of the plant as possible.
Old Rose Fragrance
The Old rose fragrance is associated with the original European Roses. This fragrance is extremely elegant and probably the most beautiful.
Charmian English Rose
Charmian rose was bred by David C. H. Austin in United Kingdom, in 1970.
| COLOR: Pink | BLOOM SIZE: Large | FRAGRANCE: Old Rose Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 8ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Charmian rose is one of the handful of David Austin English roses that can alternatively be grown as a climbing rose.
Growing this as a climbing rose will require a little patience and training in order to get your desired results.
Plant your roses near a climbing structure such as a fence or trellis and fasten the canes of the rose plants using garden tape. You will have to continue to do so until the roses naturally follow suit and climb on their own.
The Prince English Rose
The Prince rose was bred by David C. H. Austin in United Kingdom, in 1990.
| COLOR: Crimson | BLOOM SIZE: Large | FRAGRANCE: Old Rose Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Prince rose bush blooms in flushes throughout the season. This means a large number of roses for you during the season.
To maximize the number of roses your plant produces, it is important to prune your roses.
Deadheading is the technical term for pruning just the flower from a rose bush.
Deadheading is often done to maintain the physical appearance of a rose bush by keeping all the plush, healthy roses and removing the wilted blooms.
It is also used to increase the number of flowers a rose bush will produce.
Cut your wilted roses just above the first branch that has 5 leaves growing from it.
Since the Prince rose has such a delightful aroma, we recommend drying your rose in order to preserve its scent.
The Countryman English Rose
The Countryman rose was bred by David C. H. Austin in United Kingdom, in 1987.
| COLOR: Pink | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Strong Old Rose Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Countryman rose bush has a dense, vigorous growth pattern.
It is important to keep up an annual pruning regimen in order to maintain its appearance and keep it from looking unruly.
Every spring, just after the frost has subsided, you’ll want to trim any foliage that became diseased or damaged during the winter.
After that, proceed to cut back any crossing canes; typically you can expect to cut back 1/3 of the overall bush, possibly more depending on how cold your climate is.
When you are pruning your roses, make sure to be extra cautious as these roses are known to be armed with thorns.
We always recommend wearing proper gardening gloves and eye protection when handling thorny rose bushes.
Tea Rose Fragrance
English rose has also a tea rose fragrance. This fragrance was discovered for the first time at China Roses.
Sweet Juliet English Rose
Sweet Juliet rose was bred by David C. H. Austin in United Kingdom, in 1989.
| COLOR: Apricot | BLOOM SIZE: Large | FRAGRANCE: Strong Tea Rose Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 5ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
This rose along with Jane Austin are two of David Austin’s favorites.
Sweet Juliet rose has small yellow apricot buds, with a fruity tea fragrance.
If you fancy yourself as a novice entomologist, then we recommend planting the Sweet Juliet rose in your garden.
This delightfully fragrant rose attracts butterflies to the area.
Indeed butterflies are very pretty creatures, but they also provide a necessary function to the ecosystem of your garden by pollinating nearby plants.
Plant your Sweet Juliet roses near a patio or balcony so you can enjoy the tea rose fragrance while also scouting for beautiful butterflies.
Jayne Austin English Rose
Jayne Austin rose was bred by David C. H. Austin in United Kingdom, in 1990.
| COLOR: Soft apricot-yellow | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE Tea Rose Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 7ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Jayne Austin rose bush is very resistant to most rose diseases, especially blackspot, which is one of the most common diseases of roses.
Selecting disease-resistant rose cultivars is particularly helpful if you are a novice at gardening roses.
We all start somewhere, and a disease-resistant variety like the Jayne Austin will help make your first rose experience a smooth one!
Fruity Fragrance
The Fruit fragrance is described as a sharp scent of freshly picked apples or raspberries. We picked for you two of the most liked roses.
Leander English Rose
Leander rose was bred by David C. H. Austin in United Kingdom, in 1982.
| COLOR: Deep Apricot | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Fruity Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 7ft – 14ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Leander rose is tolerable of a wide range of climates, spanning from zone 5 to 11.
This is highly recommendable to those living in areas with hot summers who worry their climate may not be sustainable for roses.
Leader rose bushes are not fussy when it comes to soil and is known to accept virtually all soil types.
However, if you are striving to grow the top-tier Leander shrub, it would benefit you to plant your roses in a soil that is well-draining, fertile, and slightly moist.
A mildly acidic soil that has been richly amended with composted manure or well-rotted compost is a reliable choice when growing a bountiful, healthy rose plant.
Yellow Button English Rose
Yellow Button rose was bred by David C. H. Austin in United Kingdom, in 1975.
| COLOR: Yellow | BLOOM SIZE: Medium | FRAGRANCE: Mild Fruity Fragrance |
| PLANT SIZE: 3ft – 4ft | FLOWERING: Repeat Flowering | PREFERRED LOCATION: Full Sun |
The Yellow Button rose bush is not hardy and will require some attentive care in order to maintain a luscious, healthy plant.
This is a great choice if you are an intermediate rose gardener looking to challenge yourself!
The fruit scent of this rose variety is mild.
We highly recommend this mild option for people who find themselves sensitive to strong aromas.
You can still enjoy the delightful aroma without it being too overpowering.
Conclusion
Roses are one of the most popular fragrances available in stores- and for good reason!
Whether its myrrh, old rose, tea rose or fruit scent, there truly is an English rose fragrance that is compatible for everyone.
