Cécile de Volanges

Where to plant. Romantic borders in a Japanese style, the foreground with low perennials, roses for wedding bouquets; thanks to its compact habit it suits containers and small beds.

Climate. To −23 °C — northern regions of Ukraine with moderate cover; southern — no cover needed.

Care. Minimal thanks to high disease resistance. Removing spent flowers encourages new flushes; formative pruning in spring.

Name. After Cécile de Volanges — the main heroine of 'Les Liaisons dangereuses' by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (1782). The 15-year-old Cécile is a symbol of innocence who falls victim to a plot by the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont. The name conveys the tender, almost naive character of the pale pink flower.

Breeding. Bred by Takunori Kimura in Japan, 2011. Parentage not officially disclosed. HMF spells it 'Cecil de Volanges' (without the 'e'). Websites often wrongly attribute it to Massad/Guillot — this is incorrect, the variety is Japanese.

Significance. A rare example of a rose with a green 'eye' — a characteristic trait of Japanese florist varieties. Exceptional resistance to disease and frost made it popular with Ukrainian nurseries (EDROSES). The name, taken from a character of XVIII-century French literature, is a typical Japanese tribute to European culture in flower names.