On Sat, 22 Nov 2003 23:59:17 GMT, "Greta Kustermans"
wrote:

Hello, I was searching the www.everyrose.com website for high fragant
floribunda roses and there I found Gruss an Aachen as being
exceptionally fragant. This is strange because in the "The
encyclopedia of roses" (Random House Australia Pty Ltd 1998) this rose
only gets a low fragant quotation. In my local nursery catalogue Gruss
an Aachen gets no points for fragancy and whats more they sell it as a
shrub rose iso floribunda.

Greta, I grow Gruss an Aachen in Australia and I find the scent quite
good. To me, scent in weaker varieties is more perceptible when the
bloom is in direct sun. Also in spring and autumn when the blooms have
more time to fully develop.

As for the description of the bush, NOBODY knows how to classify the
mighty Gruss. Some say it's the first floribunda. The tag on my bush
said it was a HT (which by breeding is most correct since it is a HT/HP
cross). Others call it a polyantha. David Austin even tries to claim
it as an English rose! But who really cares... as Roger Mann pointed
out in his book, nobody would be arguing if it wasn't such an excellent
rose.