Marin Rose Society - Rose of the Month

Sheila's Perfume
Rose of the Month For July and August, 2010
by Lydia Treadway

It would be hard to find a more colorful rose than ‘Sheila's Perfume’! Classed as a floribunda, this rose is more similar to a hybrid tea in bloom form and shrub structure. The classic shape of the buds on long stems with often single blooms make ‘Sheila's Perfume’ perfect for cutting. In the vase you'll find the flowers hold their petals a long time and its highly rated fragrance with a fruity note makes ‘Sheila's Perfume’ a delight to have in the house. However, the quantity of bloom is definitely less generous than a floribunda.

An amateur London rose hybridizer, John Sheridan, grew his seedlings on a kitchen windowsill. He saw this beautiful rose bloom for the first time and named it after his beloved wife. This rose has bright yellow and red-edged petals, and it is definitely hard to miss in the garden. In summer’s hot sun, ‘Sheila's Perfume’ can fade to somewhat softer shades while remaining striking, because the heavy petals with deep veins almost seem to "bleed" the colors into each other. I can not wait to cut this superb rose for a bouquet and smell its very strong spicy blend that keeps my home smelling divine.

It has the high centered form favored by exhibitors and has received three prestigious medals for fragrance: Royal National Rose Society Edland Fragrance Medal 1981; Glasgow Tollcross Fragrance Award 1989; and the James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Award 2005. ‘Sheila's Perfume’ is a true modern classic.

Breeder: John Sheridan 1982 UK
Class: Floribunda
Color Class: Yellow blend
Fragrance: Strong spicy blend
Parentage: ‘Peer Gynt’ x (‘Daily Sketch’ x [‘Paddy McGredy’ x ‘Prima Ballerina’])
ARS Rating: 8.2

Photo by Lydia Treadway

Previous Roses of the Month