Hi Alextb you either need to make or buy a garlic spray concentrate and spray on your roses, though not at this time of year! The spray is a systemic and will keep greenfly etc. at bay. I am not aware of it being able to improve the perfume though.

A garlic barrier spray is good for most plants that are prone to aphids,Alex..and roses in particular..also helps as a foliar feed..'it said on the bottle '.You can buy it ready made,at garden centres ,or make your own..add water to crushed garlic cloves,,wait for it to 'stew' ,and strain off the liquid...Use it diluted,one part Garlic and 10 parts water,and then its ready to spray...think this is correct,but someone will let you know otherwise,if not..

There is a theory that planting garlic around rose bushes means the garlic gets into the sap stream of the roses and discourages aphids, etc. I don't know if it works or not though. As for improving the perfume, that's pie in the sky...

There is a book called 'Roses love garlic' - secrets of campanion planting with flowers by Louise Riotte 1983. Perhaps Angela Lansbury read it as 'Murder, She Wrote' were made 1984–96.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Adding blue dye to the water of white carnations will turn the carnations blue, so it is plausible that garlic molecules can be taken up by roses. Slugs, Aphids etc are put off eating plants covered in garlic spray so either way I would spray it on your roses, will not do any harm and if it improves their smell (am thinking not) then that is a bonus.

ref.blue die turning carnations blue, i remember putting daisies into my school inkwell (that shows my age doesnt it) they go a sort of stripey blue

If slugs are deterred by garlic spray presumably it would be ok to use on hostas.

.As it is organic,It won't do any harm..I spray my plants when they are starting to leaf up.on a still day.and before they get chance to lay their eggs..and then periodically afterwards throughout the season..It doesn't half put them off !..The underside of the foliage is where they usually hide....aphids I mean,not slugs..!

Slugs aren't deterred sorry... it works on insects who have a far better sense of smell than we do and hate the smell of Garlic.

It does deter slugs - I use them on Hostas and Tatties and only had one slug attack on one leaf so far of the Hostas (6 in total). Am going to use garlic spray all over the garden next year - make it systemic as Moon Growe has said.

It puts me off,MG,I hate the smell of Garlic..but I can put up with it,for the plants benefit ..at least they don't breathe on me :o)

Bloomer, you will smell the garlic for at most a minute the insect life will smell it for weeks! Our olfactory sense is poor!

That is plenty long enough,for me,MG,..I didn't know it lasted so long for insects..

strangly as it seams if you can get a clove or two int your averadge dog a day it wont suffer from fleas,tics etc and the same goes for cats and humans so there must be some truthe there somewear . dont forget your roses wont ever be bitten bye vampires either lol . i dont know about making the roses smell better but im betting it keeps the bugs of .

At least I would be able to see Vampires,Leigh..:o)

Thanks for the info. Nice little discussion here. lol

this is true bloomer not in a mirror thow lol
your welcome alex x .

I shall make have to say," Mirror,Mirror on the wall,who is the fairest of them all ",Leigh! Lol.

lol bloomer x .

I plant garlic around my roses. No spots or aphids or rust. It really works and is a good use of garlic that has sprouted in the pantry. I always save it to use around the roses. TRY IT!