I am so amazed by the intensity of the roses in the small garden outside the Budget Motel (8897 Monterey Rd in Gilroy, CA), that I’ve been going on and on about them ever since serendipitously coming across the place. I’m not sure if the fragrance is as intense throughout the spring into summer, but if you happen to pass through Gilroy, CA to visit one of the wineries, the Garlic Shoppe or farms, or Gilroy Gardens, even if you don’t stay at the Budget Motel, if you’re a rose enthusiast, it will definitely be worth checking out their garden (if the owners don’t mind). It’s just a very small garden patch in front of the office, but as a professional who has worked in the fragrance industry, I have never smelled roses that intensely scented before, and that includes concentrated, manufactured fragrance oils. The motel is next to a farm supply store and a little grocery market, so you’re probably better off parking down the street, or just pulling over in the side of the road instead of going into the motel parking lot because it’s very small. Please let me know if you do check it out and are fortunate enough to catch the roses when they’re blooming and most intense. I ended up asking the owners for a few clippings and I’m looking forward to propagating them in my own garden.
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