Throughout the northern hemisphere, the history of the rose dates back to the dawn of time. Rightly queen of the garden, the rose is a jewel that gardeners have patiently shaped from generation to generation.
According to scientists, the appearance of the first rose bushes dates back almost 35 million years. Although we do not know much about these first specimens, numerous writings from antiquity demonstrate that the queen of flowers was already appreciated by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. At the time, only one variety White was cultivated mainly for its medicinal properties.
According to historical accounts, around 5000 years ago in China roses were also cultivated. These flowers, originally from Central Asia, have spread throughout the northern hemisphere without ever crossing the equator.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, while the Crusades inflamed hearts and passions, armed travelers brought back from the Middle East new varieties of rose including the mythical Damascus rose which from the 13th century made the fortune of Provins in the Paris region. This rose was originally planted on the Island of Samos in honor of the goddess Aphrodite. Later, she was honored in Rome with the goddess of love, Venus. It was at this time that rose cultivation in France really began with gallica officinalis (Rose des Apotyhicaires). This variety brought from the Holy Land will first be cultivated for its medicinal virtues before being appreciated for its beauty in the garden. It is from this variety that rose essence was made in the Middle Ages.
In France, the most cultivated old rose bushes were then the Galliques also called Roses de France (Rose de Provins, Charles de Mills, Tuscany) but also varieties of white roses also called Alba (Céleste, Jeanne d'Arc, Cuisse de Nymphe ), Damask roses (Félicité Hardy, Quatre Saisons, Rose du Roi), Centfeuille roses (Rosa Centifolia, Rose des Peintres, Petite de Hollande) and finally Moss roses (Mossu commune, Salet). All these varieties had common traits: grown into large bushes, they most often presented a single and abundant flowering. Each flower very fragrant consisted of numerous petals varying from pure white to dark purple. Only the Damascus rose (Four Seasons) was everbearing. It is the origin of the first remontant rose bushes in the West.
In 1700, the arrival of rosebushes from China and Japan revolutionized rose cultivation in France. In a few years, the number of varieties will explode to the delight of European gardeners who have definitely fallen under the spell of this plant with its captivating scent.
Many years after the Crusades and the introduction to the West of varieties from the Middle East, a discovery shook the horizons of rose growers of the time. Around the year 1700, to the now known varieties that we mentioned in the first part of our history of roses, exotic varieties were added such as roses from India, China or Japan. The arrival of these Chinese varieties took place via the United Kingdom, the United States and Reunion Island. These repeat specimens opened the door to flowering from June to October.
The first crosses between already well-established rose bushes and these newcomers gave non-everbearing varieties such as Bourbon rose bushes (Mme Pierre Oger, Souvenir de la Malmaison), Noisette rose bushes (Rose Noisette, Desprez with yellow flowers), Thé rose bushes ( Adam, Gloire de Dijon) but also remontant hybrids (Baronne Prévost, Reine des Violettes…).
Other varieties were also imported in the 18th century from Holland and Belgium, including the Centifolia rose or Hundred-petal Cabbage Rose. This latter variety was quickly adopted by the perfumers of Grasse and in turn gave birth to sparkling roses with lettuce leaf roses. At the beginning of the 18th century, botanists had listed all possible strains. Some spontaneous hybrids then appeared such as Alba, Centifolia, Portland, Bourbon and the famous Tea Rose.
For a long time, rose growers faced a problem. These rose bushes from warm countries did not tolerate the cold of Europe! To remedy this fragility, rose growers of the time decided to carry out hybridizations to create stronger and more vigorous roses. The fruit of these first hybridizations gave tremendous impetus to the creation of hundreds of new varieties that are generally grouped under the name of old roses. This appellation includes no less than 10 varieties and cultivars, all of which have the particularity of having been created before 000.
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