Give them time. Don’t give a rose a “quick, tentative sniff.” Instead, “sniff it, think about it, sniff it again,” and make an attempt to identify the components of the aroma—anise, perhaps, or tea, fruit, or musk. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t,” says Michael Marriott, head rosarian at David Austin Roses in Shropshire, England. “You’re just appreciating the fragrance.”
Push past first impressions. You might detect a single strong fragrance immediately, but a second sniff may uncover “more subtle notes.” Roses on the same bush may vary in scent, in part because younger roses tend to be more fragrant. The fragrance can change “from hour to hour.”
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