Le Figaro Lyon
This Friday, June 2, Lyon hosts the 93rd edition of the international competition of new roses. A competition that will take place from 9am to 10.30am in the rose garden of the Parc de la Tête d'Or, in the presence of about twenty specialists who will judge 89 varieties of roses from 29 creators from eleven countries in the world (South Africa, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, United States ...). This jury will reward new varieties according to several criteria: vigor, leaf covering, flower, flower, disease resistance, fragrance and the general impression left by the variety.
Garden roses will be judged and not cut flowers offered by florists. "These are flowers that have nothing to do with each other. That of floristsis much criticized because it comes mainly from countries where health and social conditions are very poor such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Peru and Colombia. We encourage garden roses," says Daniel Boulens, president of the French Society of Roses and the Association of Old Roses of France. These new varieties are also being tested on their ability to withstand drought at a time of global warming. "We want zero pesticides," continues Mr. Boulens.
Lyon, world capital of the rose
The annual holding of this competition in Lyon is not trivial, the capital of Gaul being the world epicenter of rose creation since the nineteenth century. "Lyon is a land of roses and Lyon's rose growers are known all over the world. Here, this story has been somewhat forgotten but foreigners passionate about roses remember that Lyon is a world capital with recognized producers such as Meilland, Laperrièreor Orard, "says Daniel Boulens. Lyon has produced very famous varieties such as the La France rose, the first modern hybrid rose created in 1867 by Jean-Baptiste Guillot or the Peace rose, from the Meilland family, used as a symbol in May 1945 when the United Nations (UN) was created.
A Lyon leadership that remains today, even if the number of creators has decreased sharply over the past century, 50% of new rose varieties coming from the Rhône-Alpes region. It was also in Lyon that this competition was born in 1931 via the French Society of Roses, with the support of the City of Lyon, under the name of the contest of the "Most beautiful rose of France". Competition that is exported internationally in 1978.
These competitions are always very popular with the creators of new varieties explains the president of the French Society of Roses: "Everyone continues to create hybrids because behind it there is an economic business. A rose recognized in competitions will be filed and its creator will receive rights on intellectual property and it can pay big in addition to the sale of the plans. " The winners of the Lyon competition will be unveiled Friday noon from the Lyon City Hall.
