Can you recommend a lovely smelling apricot rose?

[Shinyandnew1]

I am after something that smells fab for a sunny border in my garden (SE England) but am not sure what to get. Are David Austin the best make? When I started googling, that’s all that was recommended-who even is David Austin and why does he have so many roses?!

Oh, and is now a good time to buy and plant one in the ground or should I wait till autumn?

Lady of Shalott, is one of my favourites, we have 2 or Roald Dhal is also lovely
both David Austin

and yes, he was somewhat famous, died a few years ago.

We have Roald Dahl and it smells gorgeous - am also south east.

Time-wise, it isn’t the best right now but if you get a rose in a pot it will live as long as you water it well (I’m talking a full watering can at least every other day for at least a month and probably right through the summer if it’s a dry one) and will then thrive next year. Alternatively, wait for November and get a bare root one.

If you keep it in a pot, make sure it’s a big pot as they dry out quickly. Mine’s in a pot that comes up to my knee and is about the same diameter as height. I also have a dome-shaped metal support frame that I’ve bent a bit to make it fit the pot, which really helps when it’s in full flower, as the flowers are heavy and make the stems bend.

Don’t prune too much the first winter, just take out any spindly twigs from the middle that make it crowded.

Thank you so much, I will go and see what I can find tomorrow. Ronald Dahl or Lady of Shallot are on my list! My sister mentioned Lark Ascending but doesn’t have this herself anymore so doesn’t know what the smell is like!

Would I be better off putting it in a big pot for now and then moving it into the flowerbed in the autumn?

Straight into the flowerbed now

Scent from heaven is lovely but it’s a climber

David Austin roses
Bathsheba
Wollaston Old Hall is their most fragrant rose ever, it’s utterly divine!
Dame Judi Dench

Dannahue David Austin. I’ve got about 15-20 roses and it’s my favourite scented one. It’s amazing

Woollaton old hall is a climber, so suitability will depend on where you want to put it

This is on my list! Good to hear it’s been a good performer

Our neighbour has "It's a wonderful life" but I don't know who bred it.

I have a gorgeous one but sadly don’t know the name, but it’s evil and very spikey, smells & looks beautiful!

I have Bring Me Sunshine, which has a lovely scent and is a climber so you can train it over/around an area in your garden and sit among the scent.

Right, I have a Lady of Shallot! They had quite a few to choose from, but this was scoring highly!

Any tips for planting it in?? I’m thinking mid border?

This is from Mary Berry’s gardening book (who knew?)

Chandos Beauty but I don’t know who the grower is.

Scent From Heaven is a lovely apricot climbing rose.
https://www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/rosa-scent-from-heaven-chewbabaluv-pbr/classid.2000028209/