A guide for gardeners · Breeders
Breeding houses and variety origins
A breeding house is a family or corporate firm that breeds new rose varieties over decades (often more than a hundred years and five generations). Knowing the house helps you predict a variety's flower style, hardiness, fragrance and behaviour in the garden.
Meilland
Peace (1942), Bonica (1981), Pierre de Ronsard / Eden Rose (1985), Papa Meilland (1963).
A family dynasty of five generations, founded by Antoine Meilland in Tassin, near Lyon. They created Peace, the best-known rose of the twentieth century. Series: Romantica (nostalgic double roses), Meidiland (landscape roses), Star Roses.
W. Kordes' Söhne
Iceberg / Schneewittchen (1958), Flammentanz (1955), Westerland (1969), Knock Out (via the USA, 2000).
Five generations in Sparrieshoop, near Hamburg. The world leader in ADR awards: Kordes varieties are tested for 3 years without chemicals, which makes them one of the best choices for a practical garden in Ukraine.
Rosen Tantau
Augusta Luise (2002), Nostalgie (1995), Black Magic, Schwarze Madonna.
Founded by Mathias Tantau Sr in Uetersen. Chief breeder from 1985: Hans Jürgen Evers, now Christian Evers. Specialisation: nostalgic quartered flowers, striking cut-flower HTs, dark red 'velvet' roses.
David Austin Roses
Graham Thomas (1983, WFRS HoF 2009), Gertrude Jekyll (1986), Munstead Wood (2007), Olivia Rose Austin (2014).
Founded by David Austin Sr (1926–2018) in Albrighton. He created the English Roses concept: an old-fashioned flower form combined with modern repeat flowering and strong fragrance. Over 200 varieties. The most recognisable English brand.
Delbard
Chartreuse de Parme, Claude Monet, Nahema, Centenaire de Lourdes.
Founded by Georges Delbard in Malicorne. Well-known series: Les Peintres ('The Painters', striped varieties named after Monet, Pissarro and Gauguin), Grands Parfums (strongly scented) and Souvenir d'Amour. Vivid 'watercolour' colouring.
Guillot
La France (1867 — the first HT in history!), Catherine Guillot, Cyril Lignac, the Generosa series.
The oldest French rose house still in operation, 6 generations since 1829. Jean-Baptiste Guillot created La France (1867), the birth of the hybrid tea class. The modern Generosa series (with Dominique Massad) features 'new old' roses that are disease-resistant.
Harkness
Margaret Merril (1977), Compassion (1973), Penny Lane (1998), Octavia Hill.
A family house from Hitchin (Hertfordshire), 6 generations. Specialisation: fragrant floribundas and climbers. Compassion is one of the most popular climbers in Europe. Margaret Merril is the classic fragrant white floribunda.
Dickson
Elina (1983, WFRS HoF 2006), Tequila Sunrise, Pot o' Gold, Wishing.
One of the oldest rose breeding houses in the world, 7 generations in Newtownards. Specialisation: robust HTs and floribundas with Irish resilience in damp climates. Elina is the most resilient HT in the world (RHS rating 5/5).
Poulsen
Ingrid Bergman (1984, WFRS HoF 2000), Rumba (1958), Else Poulsen, Kim Mini.
A Danish house founded by Dines Poulsen. They created the floribunda class: in 1924 Svend Poulsen was the first to cross a polyantha with a hybrid tea, and a new class was born. Strong in floribundas, patio roses and landscape roses.
McGredy
Picasso (1971), Old Master (1974), Olympiad (1982), Oranges 'n' Lemons (1985).
Sam McGredy IV moved the historic Irish family to New Zealand in 1972. He developed the 'hand painted' technique: striped varieties with brushstrokes of contrasting colour. Olympiad is the official rose of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Jackson & Perkins · Weeks Roses
Mister Lincoln (1964), Double Delight (1977), Julia Child (2004), Fourth of July, Hot Cocoa.
The two main American houses. Jackson & Perkins (1872, New York) is the oldest. Weeks Roses (1938, California, now Tom Carruth) — Double Delight, Julia Child, Fourth of July. Specialisation: bright HTs and floribundas, bestsellers on the US market.
Schreurs
Red Naomi! (2006), White Naomi!, Aqua!.
Founded by Piet Schreurs in Sloten (Amsterdam); the headquarters is now in De Kwakel. Second and third generations (Peter and Femma Schreurs). Branches in Kenya, Ecuador and Colombia. Specialisation: cut-flower HTs for the global cut-rose market. Red Naomi! is the most popular red cut-flower variety in Europe.
Noack Rosen
Pink Flower Carpet / Heidetraum (1988, WFRS HoF 2022!), the Flower Carpet series (10 colours), Vigorosa, Ravensberg (ADR 1986).
Founded by Werner Noack in Gütersloh. Second generation: Reinhard Noack. The Flower Carpet series (from 1993) is the industry standard for landscape groundcover roses: undemanding, free-flowering, USDA 4-5. Pink Flower Carpet was the first groundcover rose in the WFRS Hall of Fame (2022). In 1986–2002 they won more ADR awards than Kordes.
Pheno Geno Roses
Natalija, Olivera, Mina, Isidora, Zora, Vera, Jelena, Mileva — the Frayla series.
A modern Serbian breeding house founded by Biljana Božanić Tanjga in Temerin (Vojvodina). The Frayla series ('young lady', an old Serbian word) honours outstanding women of Serbian history: queens, scholars and artists. The varieties are bred in Serbia's continental climate, close to Ukrainian conditions.
Rose Barni
Notturno (1981, dark garnet HT), Anna Fendi (~2003), Olympia, Bonjour.
Founded by Vittorio Tommaso Barni in Pistoia (Tuscany). 4 generations; now Beatrice and the young Vittorio Barni. They switched to roses in 1935, because of sanctions that banned imports. ~300 varieties. Awards: Gold Geneva, Crown of Queen Theodelinda (Monza), Gold Monaco. The varieties are dedicated to icons of Italian fashion and culture.
Keisei · Rose Farm Keiji
Shinoburedo, Gabriel, Aoi, Kizuna, Diadem.
Japanese breeding. Keisei Rose Nursery is the older commercial house (Yatabe). Rose Farm Keiji (Kunihiro Kuniyoshi) is a modern brand. Specialisation: complex 'watercolour' shades (lilac-pink, purple-blue) and nostalgic double roses. In a continental climate they need careful attention.
How to choose a rose by breeding house
Show-quality cut roses
Schreurs (Red Naomi! — the world leader), Tantau (Black Magic, Nostalgie), Meilland HT, Weeks (Mister Lincoln). Large bud on a long stem for bouquets and vases.
Fragrance and romance
David Austin (English Roses — Gertrude Jekyll, Munstead Wood), Delbard (Grands Parfums — Nahema), Meilland (Romantica), Tantau (Augusta Luise). Strong quartered forms with complex scent notes.
Landscape and groundcover roses
Noack (Flower Carpet — the benchmark), Meilland (Meidiland, Drift), Kordes (Knock Out series). Undemanding, free-flowering, minimal care.
Climbers and pergolas
Harkness (Compassion, Penny Lane), Kordes (Westerland — ADR), Meilland (Pierre de Ronsard — WFRS HoF), David Austin (Gertrude Jekyll as a short climber).
Small gardens and pots
Miniature and patio roses — Dickson (Pot o' Gold), Poulsen (Patio Hit, Kim Mini), Meilland (Meillandina series). For balconies, borders and containers, 30–60 cm tall.
Complex and unusual shades
Japanese breeding (Keisei, Rose Farm Keiji) — 'watercolour' blends (lilac-pink, purple-blue). McGredy and Delbard 'Les Peintres' — striped (Picasso, Claude Monet).
A garden without chemicals
Kordes (record holder for ADR awards), Noack (Flower Carpet — ADR Ravensberg 1986), Dickson (Irish disease resistance), Earth-Kind® varieties (Mutabilis, Knock Out).
Close to Ukraine's climate
Pheno Geno (Serbia — continental climate, as in Ukraine), Poulsen (Denmark), Kordes (Germany). The Canadian Explorer and Parkland series are for the coldest regions (Sumy and Chernihiv regions).
WFRS Hall of Fame classics
For those who want roses 'proven over a century' — Meilland (Peace, Bonica, Pierre de Ronsard), Kordes (Iceberg), David Austin (Graham Thomas, Sally Holmes). 18 varieties in the Modern HoF.
Before buying: a checklist
Check 4 things: USDA zone (all of Ukraine = 5–7), ADR certificate (if there is one, the rose is disease-resistant), patent code of the variety (prevents counterfeits), reviews from regional nurseries.