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I cannot ascertain if my Fred Loads will smell or not. High Country says zero FR and HMF says strongly scented. It's only a year old. What FR rating would you give it 0 to 4? And what notes? Thank you
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For me, the 'Fred Loads' rose has quite a pronounced smell and I would certainly give it 3 clouds. Both HMF and R.V. Roger (An online supplier in the UK) list it as 'Strong'. I bought one from my local nursery in June of 2024. To my nose it is fruity (strawberry) and slightly tangy but sometimes it has another perfume-like smell with less of the fruitiness. It is always more noticeable in the air than 'Super Star' for example and it is of course bee-friendly which is good.
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I planted my Norma Major rose five years ago starting out as a budded maiden from Steve Singer at Wisconsin Roses.
It took a couple of years to establish, but now that it has, it is a wonderful garden rose for me. The bush is quite healthy and seems to handle very nasty winters with ease. IT is quick to attain a height of about 5'-6' tall in the Spring and starts blooming right away. Most flushes have 30+ blooms and they are very sturdy lasting two weeks or more while still maintaining a very nice exhibition form. They are lightly fragrant and make a wonderful cut flower. The description of Norma Major states this rose blooms in flushes, but quite frankly I think it is a continuous bloomer. Once it starts blooming in the Spring it will have at least 6 or 8 blooms on it all the time. And during flushes, it may have as many as 40 or 50 flowers on the mature bush. My bush has gotten so large now that it has to be moved out of the regular bed and planted all alone because it encroaches on its' neighbors, hiding them from view. All in all this rose makes quite a stunning pink display rose for the garden that is second to none.
My one criticism of this rose is that the foliage could be more dense. It can look a bit skimpy of leaves when it is fully grown. The spacing of the stems is the problem. The stems need to be a bit closer together to give it a fuller look, but this is really nit-picking to be honest.
Other than that one very slight drawback Norma Major makes a very nice garden display since the blooms are so beautiful and plentiful and the foliage does stay quite healthy. It never shows any signs of blackspot or mildew since I have had mine this past 5 years. I do spray my roses regularly.
John
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Your sharing of your experience and expertise is greatly appreciated.
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Could 'Norma Major's scent be described as fruity?
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Sadly, he is no longer with us, Heelin, so he can't answer.
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This is a gorgeous rose. Mine has a strong, sweet scent, and I am the first to admit that I don't smell as well as I would like to. I am sad that this rose is not widely available.
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