I think it’s a shame that explorers have the reputation for being scentless & that there is the expection that their offspring would be the same. Most of my John Cabot seedlings have some scent, some fruity, some gallica.
I picked a few blooms of John Cabot as I was being rained out of the garden & as they lay drying, there was the distinct scent of apples & gallica. That said, I’ve never gotten any scent from explorers exhibited at rose shows, so the scent doesn’t survive the rigors of exhibition. I’ve also noticed a distinct gallica scent from a seedling of unknown explorer origin. So it must be the vestige of an old ancestor.
This was the first year that I noticed the scent of John Cabot. Mine is particularly aromatic in the late afternoon. I used to have John Franklin and that one had great scent too, not sure if it was the bloom or the foliage though.
Everything has either been more fragrant this year, or my sense of smell has increased dramatically.
I think the weather has a lot to do with it. We had dry heat last year & the scent of the gallicas was so pronounced on the air. It was the first time that I had ever smelled the peppery scent of Eugene de Beauharnais.
The weather has been hot and humid this blooming season, which started abnormally late. And, now, it is thundering, which it almost never does here. The thick, hot air is definitely making things more snifferific.
But, also, I now eat gluten/soy/dairy- free, which has seemed to exponentially enchance my sense of smell and touch. Weird, eh?
gluten/soy/dairy-free, wow talk about a challenge to travel on that diet. I have to avoid soy, and that is hard enough.
I noticed last evening that the scents more or less disappeared as the sun was setting and the temp was dropping.
It wasnt by choice, lol. I was diagnosed as autoimmune last year, which forced me into such a diet. However, on it, I can notice a huge shift in sensual perceptions, which seems to be helpful in rose breeding!
I have some Explorer X Parkland roses that have good fragrance, which has been a nice surprise.
Terry
Terry
What Explorers were you using? What about your Parkland crosses?
Lydia S, I guess I should rephrase that, I have the odd plant that has good fragrance. One that stands out most is a Quadra x Winnipeg Parks cross … quartered from on a healty plant, fragrance would probably be 3 out of five, very pleasant to the nose. Otherwise, I’ve been disappointed that Morden Sunrise hasn’t passed on too much of its nice scent.
Terry