Nevada rose

Question

We went to a garden centre in early summer and when we got out of the car we were met by the most glorious smell of roses coming from (we thought) this huge rose bush covered in white roses. We asked the name of the rose, it was Nevada, so we bought one. The rose is thriving and healthy but no perfume. We are very disappointed since this is the only reason we bought this Rayner nondescript rose which blows up and withers in two to three days. Is there anything we can do? It was planted near our patio seating area in the hope that the a breeze would blow the wonderful perfume we smelt our way when we are sitting on there.

Answer 1

The Nevada roses I know of have either white or pink blooms. They date back to 1927 (white) or about 1959 (pink). They are listed as Hybrid Moyesii shrub roses with a mild fragrance. I am not sure what may have happened unless the rose that was so nicely fragrant was actually one located nearby that seemed to track to the Nevada rose. It could also be that the Nevada rose at the location was loaded with blooms and thus by shear numbers it had the powerful fragrance. If it was a numbers of blooms thing that led to her being so nicely fragrant, then she will need about 4 years in her new home at your place to get well established and truly hit her “Bloom Stride”, then by the shear numbers of her blooms she will fill the air with her fragrance. Most rosebushes will need 3 to 5 years to hit their Bloom Stride. Some such as roses named Double Delight, Mister Lincoln and Fragrant Cloud will have knock your socks off fragrance early on and get even better with age. Keep them well fed with a good organic based or organic rose food and watered well and she will hit her stride in time.