Day 12: Fragrant Rose Advent Calendar

Three citrus-y friends to finish out the twelve days of Christmas.

Pope John Paul II.

Perhaps Dr. Keith W. Zary’s best cultivar it was introduced by Jackson and Perkins in 2004. It has giant blossoms, nearly six inches. Its mother is also famous, Gamble Medal winner Secret. My favorite part about Pope John Paul II is he isn’t prone to thrips as much as other white roses.

Its fragrance is rosa centifolia with a heap of citrus.

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Olivia Austin.

This stunner was hybridized in 2000 by the late David Austin. Its shape and color remind me of Queen of Sweden, but with better fragrance. It is a classic centifolia, so think fruity. 

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Sugar Moon.

This cultivar has such a perfect shape. It’s the offspring of Baby Love and exhibition winner Moonstone. It was hybridized by Christian Bedard in 2008, and was introduced ten years ago by Weeks. It has that great citrus and centifolia fragrance, and is very disease resistant.

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