My namesake rose

"Madame Hardy" (originally Félicité Hardy) shows up on most "N-best Old Roses" lists.   It's a Damask rose bred by Monsieur Alexandre Hardy in 1832, named in honor of his wife.   It has a green "eye" in the center and lies flat when fully ripe, a white pillowy circle of petals with a green cone in the middle.   Mme. Hardy blooms but once a year; I plant it anyway, because the scent is incredible.

Two excellent pages about the Madame Hardy rose:

• Paul Barden -- his whole site is pure gold if you care about roses.
• Rosenotes has pictures of the flower in all stages, bud to bloom to bouquet.

My namesake rose

"Madame Hardy" (originally Félicité Hardy) shows up on most "N-best Old Roses" lists.   It's a Damask rose bred by Monsieur Alexandre Hardy in 1832, named in honor of his wife.   It has a green "eye" in the center and lies flat when fully ripe, a white pillowy circle of petals with a green cone in the middle.   Mme. Hardy blooms but once a year; I plant it anyway, because the scent is incredible.

Two excellent pages about the Madame Hardy rose:

• Paul Barden -- his whole site is pure gold if you care about roses.
• Rosenotes has pictures of the flower in all stages, bud to bloom to bouquet.