An old and very fragrant red rose

This very old red rose was transplanted into my garden to save it from a renovators wrecking ball a couple of years ago when the house it was planted next to was demolished. Thankfully it survived and thrived. 

It is a heavily scented rose,  with a fragrance that modern roses, even the scented varieties, don't seem to be able to replicate. The fragrance lasts long after the rose has died so I have been collecting the dried petals for their scent.  

I always wondered whether potpourri, the original potpourri without added chemicals, really was as scented as one imagines. Now I realise that it probably was if they used roses such as these. I also understand the tradition of scattering rose petals at the feet of queens and brides. 

Today I made several little bags for the dried petals with my new old sewing machine (last post). I tucked one bag under the arm of the sewing machine to combat the op-shop odour  that was still clinging to it. It is working a treat.

Perhaps when people become aware that the artificial chemicals used in today's potpourri are toxic there will be more demand for the very old roses again. That will keep breeders busy as they can be difficult to propagate. 

I have often tried growing this rose from cuttings but without success so now I am trying to grow a new plant from a branch while it is still attached to the plant (thank you Gardening Australia for the propagation instructions). 

The new old sewing machine

The rubber bands that drove the shaft of my 1971 Bernina sewing machine have slowly deteriorated over the 55+ years of its life, but they were still working well enough.  The Bakelite pedal cracked several years ago and had been glued together. But now, in January 2026, the electric cord finally stopped working. 

I looked on eBay to see if I could buy a pedal/cord for the machine and found a set in the USA.  I was surprised at how many old sewing machines were online, though several of them were being sold for parts only. I also found a place in California that made the sort of rubber bands I needed. 

The second hand pedal/cord in the US was a reasonable price but getting it to Australia would have been expensive, all up AUD 145. 

So then I checked the cost of new Berninas online. The cheapest one was over AUD1,500 and all the new models have touch screens to help you choose the stitch you want. I have yet to be persuaded that touch screens on sewing machines are necessary. Will they still be functional in 50 years? I use the machine frequently but never use the fancy stitches. As long as I can sew seams and make buttonholes my needs are fulfilled. 

I was considering my options when FB marketplace was suggested to me as another search option so I looked there as well. By a stroke of good fortune I found a machine just like mine at Hornsby Salvos, tested and working and with a year's warranty, all for AUD 200. I was a bit doubtful but I checked the Hornsby Salvation Army website and amongst the religious exhortations I found a note saying they were using FB Marketplace to extend their reach. The sewing machine was part of a deceased estate. 

I bought it and it arrived safely, despite being put in its carrying case upside down. 

So now I am sewing again and wondering if I should put my old Bernina on eBay as an item being sold for parts only. As with so many such items made in the 1970s most of the machine is in excellent working order. We need more companies like the rubber belt maker in California that make new parts for old and robust machines such as these that would go forever if only the parts that deteriorate could be replaced.  

*The new old machine is pictured above with a recent painting of Wellington harbour in the background