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For Love of a Rose
For Love of a Rose
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
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March 27, 2019I am not a fan of hybrid tea roses--generally too fussy, gawky, and too much in need of chemical assistance. I make an exception for one tea rose: Peace.
Here's part of the story with a great video.
https://www.starrosesandplants.com/ar...
The cutting 3-35-40 that the Meilland family of rose growers sent out of France in the early years just before World War II became a symbol of the hopes for peace that still elude us. But happily the post war boom in suburban gardening and the well-deserved popularity of this great rose helped the family rebuild its business. The sixth generation of Meilland's family owned business helped pioneer whole new breed of super hardy shrub roses like the Bonica and Knock Out varieties that thrive in even the most unpromising gardens. I can vouch for both!
Here's part of the story with a great video.
https://www.starrosesandplants.com/ar...
The cutting 3-35-40 that the Meilland family of rose growers sent out of France in the early years just before World War II became a symbol of the hopes for peace that still elude us. But happily the post war boom in suburban gardening and the well-deserved popularity of this great rose helped the family rebuild its business. The sixth generation of Meilland's family owned business helped pioneer whole new breed of super hardy shrub roses like the Bonica and Knock Out varieties that thrive in even the most unpromising gardens. I can vouch for both!
December 19, 2015
This book is tracks the history of the creation of the beautiful rose named "Peace" in the USA (Madame A. Meilland in France) which was unveiled to a war weary world on 29 September 1945. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Peace. There are millions of these roses in cultivation today.
However, it is much more than the history of a single rose. It is also the history of two remarkable families. Francis Meilland who cultivated the rose was the great grandson of Joseph Rambaux who, at the end of a long day's work as a gardener in a Lyons park, started cultivating roses in a small garden plot in Lyons. His son in law, Francis, became a professional rose grower and started hybridising some early roses. It could take 8-10 years to see the results of a hybridising experiment at the end of the nineteenth century so extreme patience was required.
Francis's daughter, Claudia, married Antoine Meilland, the son of a poor farmer from Chambeouf, who had been inspired to grow roses from a young age by a kindly neighbour. At the age of twelve, he went to work for a company or arboriculturalists to gain the necessary experience so that he could apply to join the firm of rose growers in Lyons. His dream finally came true and he married Claudia in 1908. Known as Papa Meilland, he built up a successful rose growing business despite many challenges including WW1. Their son Francis would become an pre-eminent rose grower in his own right and was a visionary in his time. He would construct the first greenhouse for flower growing in France and after WW2 would do the necessary work to obtain patent rights for plant hybridists in various countries including France, South Africa, Germany, Spain and Italy.
Francis married Louisette, the daughter of Francesco and Marie-Elizabeth Paolina. Francesco was the son of an immigrant family from the Italian province of Calabria who came to Antibes in France. As a boy he also dreamed of becoming a rose grower and, after serving an apprenticeship as a cobbler, would start his own flower growing in business on the Cap. His focus would become the growing of roses and other cut flowers for the tourist industry in southern France. Francis and Louisette's son, Alain, would eventually become the head a major international rose growing business https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meillan... started by his various ancestors.
The story also celebrates the life of a remarkable cast of women. Francesco and Antoine's mothers fed and clothed their large families, did the housework required without any labour-saving equipment and still found time to earn extra money by various means. Mama Paolina had a head for finance and first saved the money required to buy the tickets on a ship to allow her family to emigrate and then managed to ensure that they would eventually buy their own land on the Cap d'Antibes. Antoine's mother insisted that all four her children complete at least primary school and continued to do the work of two women with one hand (the other was amputated when she was a child) until she was well into her eighties.
Claudia and Marie-Elizabeth (Francesco's wife) were indefatigable. Marie-Elizabeth started working a 72 hour working week ironing clothes when she was 12. She also worked in the perfumeries in Grasse, her home town, carrying jasmine flowers. Claudia managed a household from about the age of 14. She would pick flowers and vegetables every day to sell at the local market, then come home to do the housework and still found time to manage the administration of her father and later her husband's business. Both women kept the businesses going through WW1 by themselves, saving what roses they could and mainly planting vegetables. My respect for all the women involved in these families grew like the roses they knew and loved.
The story is well written and evokes the time period from the late 1800's to the 1950's as experienced by these rose growing families beautifully.
However, it is much more than the history of a single rose. It is also the history of two remarkable families. Francis Meilland who cultivated the rose was the great grandson of Joseph Rambaux who, at the end of a long day's work as a gardener in a Lyons park, started cultivating roses in a small garden plot in Lyons. His son in law, Francis, became a professional rose grower and started hybridising some early roses. It could take 8-10 years to see the results of a hybridising experiment at the end of the nineteenth century so extreme patience was required.
Francis's daughter, Claudia, married Antoine Meilland, the son of a poor farmer from Chambeouf, who had been inspired to grow roses from a young age by a kindly neighbour. At the age of twelve, he went to work for a company or arboriculturalists to gain the necessary experience so that he could apply to join the firm of rose growers in Lyons. His dream finally came true and he married Claudia in 1908. Known as Papa Meilland, he built up a successful rose growing business despite many challenges including WW1. Their son Francis would become an pre-eminent rose grower in his own right and was a visionary in his time. He would construct the first greenhouse for flower growing in France and after WW2 would do the necessary work to obtain patent rights for plant hybridists in various countries including France, South Africa, Germany, Spain and Italy.
Francis married Louisette, the daughter of Francesco and Marie-Elizabeth Paolina. Francesco was the son of an immigrant family from the Italian province of Calabria who came to Antibes in France. As a boy he also dreamed of becoming a rose grower and, after serving an apprenticeship as a cobbler, would start his own flower growing in business on the Cap. His focus would become the growing of roses and other cut flowers for the tourist industry in southern France. Francis and Louisette's son, Alain, would eventually become the head a major international rose growing business https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meillan... started by his various ancestors.
The story also celebrates the life of a remarkable cast of women. Francesco and Antoine's mothers fed and clothed their large families, did the housework required without any labour-saving equipment and still found time to earn extra money by various means. Mama Paolina had a head for finance and first saved the money required to buy the tickets on a ship to allow her family to emigrate and then managed to ensure that they would eventually buy their own land on the Cap d'Antibes. Antoine's mother insisted that all four her children complete at least primary school and continued to do the work of two women with one hand (the other was amputated when she was a child) until she was well into her eighties.
Claudia and Marie-Elizabeth (Francesco's wife) were indefatigable. Marie-Elizabeth started working a 72 hour working week ironing clothes when she was 12. She also worked in the perfumeries in Grasse, her home town, carrying jasmine flowers. Claudia managed a household from about the age of 14. She would pick flowers and vegetables every day to sell at the local market, then come home to do the housework and still found time to manage the administration of her father and later her husband's business. Both women kept the businesses going through WW1 by themselves, saving what roses they could and mainly planting vegetables. My respect for all the women involved in these families grew like the roses they knew and loved.
The story is well written and evokes the time period from the late 1800's to the 1950's as experienced by these rose growing families beautifully.
December 11, 2020
Brilliant. One of the very best books I have ever read!
August 3, 2012
I read this many years ago, borrowing it from a lovely old lady from whom I used to buy shortbread! I reread it now after buying myself a copy at a secondhand bookstore. What a lovely story! Not sure that everybody will love it as I did, but as a rose lover and garderner, I loved every second! The Peace rose being my favourite rose since my grandmother had one in her garden when I was a little girl. The book is well written and the story flows so easily that I read it in one sitting!
January 6, 2018
Odd writing style, one I didn't like. However the family history and the effort and years required to create a new rose, was fascinating.
September 16, 2018
This charming story about the family who developed the Peace Rose is a real treat. The story spans from 1850- 1961. If you love roses, then you’ll love this book.
August 25, 2025
My Grandmother gave this book as a gift to my mother at her wedding. Loved reading it!
July 22, 2024
As one would speak to a friend
August 12, 2020
I loved this book because I loved this rose.
We had a Peace rose growing in our garden, and my husband used to pick one to put on a tray when he brought me breakfast in bed.
It was lovely to read about its story.
We had a Peace rose growing in our garden, and my husband used to pick one to put on a tray when he brought me breakfast in bed.
It was lovely to read about its story.
December 30, 2020
A sickly sweet biography of the family who developed the Peace rose - it's hagiographic, but a nice escape if you want to hang out with a bunch of charming French rose enthusiasts for a few hundred pages.
October 21, 2021
Such a sweet historical read chronicling the family history of famous French rose growers. Like Dickens, Ridge’s characters are all perfectly sweet; however, unlike Dickens not a bad apple in the bunch. It does make me wonder -was the past really that simple because life now seems anything but.
April 11, 2025
A true story of the Peace rose. A remarkable story of two families of rose growers from 1870 through to the 1950s - France. Remarkable story of resilience, love and humbleness.
October 14, 2023
For Love of a Rose is a delight and not just for horticulturalists. Based on a true story about two families the Meillands of Lyons and the Paolinos in Antibes. As the story develops we see both families share a common passion - roses. From growing and developing new varieties to the families united through marriage to the ultimate story of the creation of the world renowned Peace Rose at the end of World War II. This was such a beautiful story to read and definitely worth the 5 star rating.
January 20, 2014
This is a book I have had for probably 15 years and always had the intention of reading. Well that day arrived and I have read it at last. It is a wonderful story of families, the two main ones being, the Meillands and the Paolinos. They were both major rose growers and the two families became joined by marriage.
They were the developers, creators of the famous Peace Rose that became world famous at the end of the second world war. it is not just a book about the cultivation of roses, it is about struggle and loss through two wars and more than anything else it is a story about family and love. It may be an old book, 1965, but still an amazing read.
They were the developers, creators of the famous Peace Rose that became world famous at the end of the second world war. it is not just a book about the cultivation of roses, it is about struggle and loss through two wars and more than anything else it is a story about family and love. It may be an old book, 1965, but still an amazing read.
August 28, 2022
Possibly one of the most evocative and beautiful pieces of writing about something a simple as a rose blooming. This is a true story about the rivalry between the two families who become caught up not only in rose growing but in the tragic events of the second world war. Despite privations and loss the families continue their work bringing the whole to a wonderful climax. This is an absolute must read, on a world where film and television brings a tear to these this book definitely does the same.
November 11, 2016
For a gardener who has grown the gorgeous 'Peace' rose, this is a must. It is not until you read the story of these prolific rose-growing families that you realise what a debt we owe them. It is a beautiful, romantic story about the way two families inter-marry with the common theme of roses being handed down the generations. In the telling it also affirms that you should always choose a profession with your heart because it will bring you and everyone around you such joy.
February 21, 2016
A beautiful written story and enjoyable read with lovely characters and engaging plot.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews