The floribunda rose Scentimental – you either love it or you hate it. I suppose it all depends on your individual tastes. Many years ago, a lady customer once asked me, her question I immediately realised was a thinly veiled criticism of my tastes, “and you probably like the rose Scentimental?” Raised to be a gentleman, I didn’t immediately bite back and yell f*ck off, so I replied with as much enthusiasm and good manners as I could muster, “Yes it is a great rose, I love it, and I could not live without it.” To this day I still do, and this grand rose is the most complimented rose by far by visitors to my garden.
The rose is big, it’s bold, it’s brassy and for me it’s very, very sexy. Each and every bloom is splendid in their own uniqueness, no two are ever the same. The petals are beautifully striped, with the background a rich blend of deep burgundy and crimson pink, and the beautifully stripes and swirls are a clear white, their number and width varying from flower to flower. They have a strong spicy scent, not overly so, but still strong enough to justify its name. They are excellent as a cut flower, their foliage is a rich green and is practically immune to blackspot. Their greatest and most unforgettable feature is that for a rose they just ‘don’t shut up’ flowering.
Scentimental was very deservedly the first striped rose to win the AARS award in 1997 and remains a leader in the new generation of striped roses. It was raised by a Tom Carruth, in the USA in 1997, its parentage a cross between Playboy and Peppermint Twist.
I have 5 specimens in my own garden. I only prune them every second year, not due to my indifference, neglect or laziness, but because they just don’t need them. Each year they remain bushy, from their base to their top, and are forever clothed in a grand profusion of stunning scented flowers. Their heights are all a good 2 metres.
If I had the room I would plant a long hedge of it, say 10 to 16 plants in number, about a metre apart. In front of it, I would plant a second rose hedge, a combination of David Austin’s Munstead Wood, a deep crimson, and Clair Austin, a pure white, both low in height and habit, and both blessed with the perfumes of perfection. The two would also provide a great colour complement to the taller Scentimental hedge behind. At their feet I imagine I would plant of long froth of catmint and white Californian poppies. I believe it would all look pretty super and groovy. Maybe in the future a client may be brave enough to plant this simple design. We shall see and only hope.
Happy gardening and have fun,
Regards Ned McDowell