History
Meilland International
The Meilland Family is a multi-generational family of French rose breeders. The family's first rosarian was gardener, Joseph Rambaux, who first started breeding roses in 1850 in Lyon. He is best known for developing the Polyantha 'Perle d'Or'. His wife, Claudine and son-in-law, Francois Dubreuil, took over the nursery after Rambaux died in 1878. [5] Dubreuil became a successful rose breeder and grower. In 1900, Dubreuil hired sixteen year old, Antoine Meilland, as a gardening assistant, where he met Dubreuil's daughter, Claudia. Antoine and Claudia married in 1909 and their son, Francis was born in 1912. The couple took over Dubareuil's nursery after his death in 1916. [6]
After World War I, Antoine and Claudia bought property in Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, near Lyon and started a new nursery. Their son, Francis, married Marie-Louise (Louisette) Paolino, daughter of an Italian rose breeder in 1939. Francis expanded the family business over time into a large, international company, and became the most famous and prolific rose breeder in the family. His legendary 'Peace' rose, brought the family international attention and great commercial success when it was introduced after World War II. The Meilland family merged their business with Francisque Richardier in 1946, so that Francis Meilland could focus solely on breeding roses. After Francis's early death in 1958, Louisette continued to breed roses, introducing many awarding winning new varieties. The new company, Meilland-Richardier grew into Meilland International (AKA House of Meilland), and is located in Le Luc en Provence, France. Francis and Louisette's children, Alain and Michele, are both successful rose breeders and continue to manage the company. [7] [8]
'Abbaye de Cluny'
'Abbaye de Cluny' was bred in France by Alain Meilland before 1993. It was introduced in France by Meilland International in 1995. Meilland developed the cultivar by crossing hybrid teas, ('Louis de Funès' x 'Sun King') x'Just Joey'. 'Abbaye de Cluny' won the Belfast Gold Medal in 1995. [3] The rose is named after the Benedictine Abbey at Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France., France.
Rosa 'Alain' is a red Floribunda rose variety, bred by Francis Meilland before 1946. Meilland International introduced the rose in France in 1948. It was named for Meilland's son, Alain, who was born in 1940. It won the Geneva Gold Medal in 1948.
Hybrid tea is an informal horticultural classification for a group of garden roses. The first hybrid tea roses were created in France in the mid-1800s, by cross-breeding the large, floriferous Hybrid Perpetuals with the tall, elegant Tea roses. The Hybrid tea is the oldest class of Modern garden roses. Hybrid teas exhibit traits midway between their parents, being hardier than the often delicate Tea roses, and with a better ability for repeat-flowering than the more robust Hybrid Perpetuals.
Meilland International SA is a family-owned rose growing business founded circa 1850. The business operates today out of the Domaine de Saint André in Le Cannet-des-Maures, Le Luc en Provence, Var, France with branches all over the world.
Francis Meilland was a French rose breeder and co-founder of Meilland International, a family-owned rose growing company in southern France. The Meilland family has been breeding and selling roses since 1850. Francis Meilland is best known for developing the legendary Hybrid tea rose, 'Peace', in the 1930s. Since the rose's introduction in the U.S. in 1945, over 40 million 'Peace' roses have been sold worldwide.
The Peace rose, formally Rosa 'Madame A. Meilland', is a well-known and successful garden rose. By 1992, over one hundred million plants of this hybrid tea had been sold. The cultivar has large flowers of a light yellow to cream color, slightly flushed at the petal edges with crimson-pink. It is hardy and vigorous and relatively resistant to disease, making it popular in gardens as well as in the floral trade.
Rosa 'Louis de Funès' is an orange hybrid tea rose, bred by Marie-Louise Meilland before 1987. Meilland International introduced the rose in France in 1987. It was named after the famous French comedian Louis de Funès(1914 - 1983).
Rosa 'Perle d'Or' is an apricot blend Polyantha rose cultivar bred by Joseph Rambaux in 1875 and introduced by Francis Dubreuil in France in 1883. 'Perle d'Or' was granted several awards, including the Lyon Gold Medal in 1883, and the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
Rosa 'Francis Meilland', also known as 'Schloss Ippenburg' or 'Prince Jardinier', is a light pink Hybrid tea rose cultivar. The rose was developed by Alain Meilland in France in 2006, and has won multiple awards in Europe and the United States.
Rosa 'Glowing Peace',, is an orange and yellow Grandiflora rose cultivar, developed by Michèle Meilland Richardier before 1998. The cultivar was introduced into France as 'Phillipe Noiret', and into the United States by Star Roses and Plants as 'Glowing Peace'. The rose was named an All-America Rose Selections winner in 2001.
Rosa 'Just Joey',, is an apricot blend hybrid tea rose cultivar, bred by Roger Pawsey and named in honor of his wife, Joey. The plant was introduced into the United Kingdom by Cants of Colchester rose growers in 1972. 'Just Joey' was inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame as "World's Favourite Rose" in 1994.
Rosa 'Soleil d'Or' is a Foetida hybrid rose cultivar, bred by Joseph Pernet-Ducher and introduced on November 1, 1900. It is the ancestor of all modern Hybrid tea roses and the first yellow-orange rose. Pernet-Ducher later crossed 'Soleil d'Or' with Tea roses to create a new class known as Pernetiana roses.
Joseph Rambaux (1820–1878) was a gardener and rose breeder from Lyon, France. He is considered the patriarch of the legenday Meilland family, award-winning rose breeders for six generations. The rose variety he is best remembered for is the Polyantha, 'Perle d'Or', introduced in France in 1883. 'Perle d'Or' was granted several awards, including the Lyon Gold Medal in 1883, and the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
Francis Dubreuil (1842–1916) was a French rose breeder and nursery owner from Lyon, France. He was the second generation of the Meilland family to breed and grow roses. He introduced over 64 rose varieties during his career and was the founding member of the French Society of rose growers.
Marie-Louise ("Louisette") Paolino Meilland (1920–1987) was a French rose breeder and co-owner of Meilland International in France. She was married to renowned rose breeder, Francis Meilland, who bred the world famous 'Peace' rose in the 1930s. After her husband died in 1958, she took over the family business and continued to breed roses. During her long career, Louisette Meilland bred over 120 rose varieties, and received multiple awards for her work.
Antoine '("Papa") Meilland (1884–1971) was a French rose grower and co-founder of Meilland International, a large rose growing company in southern France. As a young man, he worked as a nursery assistant for rose breeder, Francis Dubreuil. Antoine married, Dubreuil's daughter, Claudia in 1909 and their son Francis, was born in 1912. Antoine was drafted into the French army when France entered the War in 1914, and Claudia managed the nursery in his absence. Dubreuil died in 1916. When Antoine returned to Lyon, after the war, he and Claudia took over the management of the family business.
The Meilland Family is a multi-generational family of French rose breeders. The family's first rosarian was gardener, Joseph Rambaux, who first started breeding roses in 1850 in Lyon. He is best known for developing the Polyantha 'Perle d'Or'. His wife, Claudine and son-in-law, Francois Dubreuil, took over the nursery after Rambaux died in 1878. Dubreuil became a successful rose breeder and grower. In 1900, Dubreuil hired sixteen year old, Antoine Meilland, as a gardening assistant, where he met Dubreuil's daughter, Claudia. Antoine and Claudia married in 1909 and their son, Francis was born in 1912. The couple took over Dubreuil's nursery after his death in 1916.
Rosa 'Michele Meilland' is a light pink Floribunda rose cultivar, bred by Francis Meilland in 1945. Meilland International introduced the rose in France in 1948. It was named for Meilland's daughter, Michele, who was born in 1943. It was named the most beautiful rose in France in 1945.
Rosa 'Black Baccara' is a dark burgundy Hybrid tea rose cultivar, bred by French rose hybridizer, Jacques Mouchotte, before 2000. Meilland International introduced the rose in France in 2000. The rose was also introduced in America by Star Roses and Plants/Conard-Pyle in 2002.
Rosa 'All American Magic' is a red blend Grandiflora rose cultivar, bred by Alain Meilland in 1997 and introduced into the United States and France by Meilland International.
