The following old roses are favorites of rosarians for fragrance.
‘Alba Semiplena’ (an alba rose). White, extremely fragrant semidouble blooms; plant is disease resistant. 6 feet tall, 4 to 5 feet wide. Not a repeat bloomer.
‘Belle Isis’ (Gallica). Medium pink, wonderfully perfumed. 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide. Not a repeat bloomer.
Cabbage rose(Rosa centifolia). The rose in paintings by old Dutch masters. Medium to deep pink, heady perfume. 6 feet tall by 5 feet wide. Not a repeat bloomer.
‘Crepuscule’ (Noisette), sometimes sold as Twilight. Double blooms of gold with ruffled petals, strong fragrance. 12 feet tall by 6 feet wide. Repeat bloomer.
‘Darlow’s Enigma’ (ancestry unknown). Plant will grow in full shade. Small white blooms in clusters, richly fragrant. 8 feet tall by 6 feet wide. Repeat bloom.
‘Ferdinand Pichard’ (hybrid perpetual). Candy pink with stripes of deep crimson, aging to purple. 5 feet tall, 4 feet wide. Repeat bloomer.
‘Francesca’ (hybrid musk). Soft apricot semidouble blooms in clusters have the pungent fragrance of honeysuckle. 5 to 6 feet tall and as wide. Continuous bloomer.
‘Henri Martin’ (moss). Crimson red, many petals; strong, old rose fragrance. 5 to 7 feet tall by 6 feet wide. Not a repeat bloomer.
‘Mme Hardy’ (damask). White bloom with a green eye, very fragrant. 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide. Not a repeat bloomer.
‘Mme Isaac Pereire’ (Bourbon). Raspberry purple; one of the most fragrant of all roses. 5 to 6 feet tall by 4 or 5 feet wide. Continuous bloomer.
‘Reine des Violettes’ (hybrid perpetual). Deep violet purple, marvelously fragrant. 7 feet tall by 5 or 6 feet wide. Continuous bloomer.