About us | a look on the past
In about 1850, Joseph Rambaux, who was a gardener at the Parc de la Tête d'Or in Lyons, shows an interest in growing roses. During his free time, he starts a small production of rose-trees and also makes some cross-pollinations. After his death, his wife will commercialise eight of his varieties under the name of Widow Rambaux. The two remaining varieties will be introduced by his son-in-law Francis Dubreuil, who sets up as a rose-breeder around 1880, his two most famous varieties being "Perle d'Or" and "Souvenir du rosiériste Rambaux".
Francis Dubreuil was a tailor when he married Marie Rambaux, he turned rose-grower and a gifted rose breeder during the second part of his life. Between 1884 and 1914, Francis Dubreuil introduced 64 varieties of his own, dedicated to celebrities of the day like "Amiral Courbet" "Duchesse de Bragance" "Princesse de Monaco" "Duchesse Maurice de Broglie" and even the famous actress "Sarah Bernhardt" who sent him a telegram of warm thanks for her rose.
Claudia Dubreuil, his daughter, marries Antoine Meilland and this is how the Meilland family gets into the rose world. In 1914, Antoine must go to war and leaves his wife Claudia with their young son Francis. During these terrible years, Claudia and Francis work very hard to save a small collection of rose-trees and grow some vegetables as well. Once the war is over, Antoine works again as a gardener and settles in Tassin-la-demi-lune on a 1,5 acre piece of ground he has bought.
After the visit of an English grower, the young Francis decides to learn English with evening lessons. Aged 17, he is invited with her father to visit Charles Mallerin who will become his mentor. Full of admiration for Mallerin's masterpiece "Mme P.S. Dupont", Francis Meilland takes up rose-breeding.
In about 1933, Francis meets in France Robert Pyle, friend of Charles Mallerin who came to visit him. Both Charles Mallerin and a friend of him, Dr. D.H. Nicolas, an American rose-breeder, will encourage Francis to go to America for a large tour of the country.
In two months time, he covers by car more than 20.000 kms all around the United States and brings back some revolutionary ideas such as : colour catalogue, refrigerated rooms to store the plants and plant patent registration.
In 1937, his first rose variety "Golden State" is a great success, it will be chosen to be the image of the San Francisco International Show in 1939. During Fall 1937, Francis Meilland issues the first colour catalogue, 23 days later all the rose-trees available are sold out, which is quite unbelievable! The same year he builds the first cool-store for rose-trees in Europe.
In January 1939 he gets married with Louisette Paolino, daughter of customers in the South of France, who at the age of 15 already cross-pollinated rose-trees with her father.
In June 1939 Francis Meilland invites some French and foreign customers to show them his new varieties, this was the very beginning of what will become "Universal Rose Selection".
The war will be a brake to this wonderful idea but the war over, the good news arrive from the United States : Robert Pyle writes to Francis Meilland to inform him that the rose of which he luckily received some budwoods just before the war, edited in France under the name "Mme A. Meilland", was going to be named "Peace".
As a recognition of its outstanding qualities, the American Rose Society undertakes the christening of the rose in Pasadena (California) with some stars of the day (Miss Falkenburg, Miss Van Barneveld, Billy House, Miss Audrey Long, Norvell Gillepsie).
As an additional honour, the "Peace" rose was offered to each delegate of the future United Nations Organisation for their first meeting in San Francisco.
At the same time, this rose was going to be named "Gloria Dei" in Germany and "Gioia" in Italy. It is estimated that more than 50 millions plants of "Peace" are being planted in the whole world.
Owner of the first patent ever granted for a plant in Europe with "Rouge Meilland ® Var. Rim 1020" in 1948, Francis Meilland devoted a great part of his life to Plant Breeders' Rights and to set up legislation of intellectual property to rose-tree, as it is in force today.
After his death in 1958, his son Alain Meilland, takes over at the age of 18 and gives a new impulse to the company. Alain Meilland is working without interruption to encourage more countries in favour of Plant Breeders' Rights by specific regulations in this field of action and in favour of the cultivation of the great passion of his life : the Rose.
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