Modern Roses
In Lyon, in 1867, rosebreeder Jean-Baptiste Guillot, created the first contemporary rose wich we find in our gardens today. It was a climbing hybrid, produced from the hybridization of old roses (tea roses) and Chinese roses (climbing hybrids). It was naturally called "France". This was a landmark in the history of rose-growing. Before this date, roses are called "ancient" in France, and after this date they are considered "modern".
The "France", the first variety of a group known as tea hybrids, paved the way for roses which could flower from Spring to the first frosts. The development of hybrids also allowed rosebreeders to start varying the colour of their flowers. By crossbreeding a rose in 1875, Guillot's son produced the "Paquerette", the first of the Polyanthas variety. This variety of rosebush, with its small bouquets of flowers, is today still one of the biggest sellers throughout the world. The crossbreeding of the France with the Polyanthas gave birth to the Floribunda, a rose familiar to today's gardeners.
A few years later, again in Lyon, in the Parc de la Tête d'Or, Joseph Pernet-Ducher produced the first variety of rose with a yellow-orange colour. He called this rose the "Soleil d'Or" and it was produced from a yellow botanic species and gave birth to yellow Tea Hybrids in the 20th. Century, which are still produced in gardens today. From the same nursery, orange and blue variants were produced soon after.
At the same period, the rosebreeder from Orléans, Réné Barbier created the first Liane variety of roses which in turn produced the "Albertine" or "Albéric Barbier". These varieties came from Japanese strains brought to America by the German botanist Wichura.
The most famous and most beautiful rose in the world is the yellow rose called "Madame Antoine Meilland". It was produced in Antibes during the Second World War by Francis Meilland and remains to this day the world's best-selling rose. This rosebreeding family, in business for six generations, is also responsible for (among others) the chocolate-coloured "Leonidas", and the "Black Baccara", which is the world's blackest rose. The last little marvel to be produced, in 2005, by Meilland is the Amalia", a rose with bi-coloured petals, one side being brighter in colour than the other.
In the 1960's, new groups of roses were created in England. The most famous of them are the "Retro Roses", created by Austin, who crossbred modern roses with very ancient strains. The speciality of these roses, sold as "English Roses", is that they have modern, very resistant leaves and ancient rose flowers.