Institut Lumière

Where to plant. French 'château' gardens, formal groups of 3–5 bushes, themed 'cinematic' borders with other varieties named after artists and thinkers (Goethe, Constance Spry); lovely paired with purple perennials; its strong scent makes it suitable for paths and seating areas.

Climate. Down to −23 °C. In Ukraine, moderate winter protection in northern regions; in the south, no protection needed.

Care. As a classic Massad shrub, prune in spring; good air circulation; the typical Generosa-quality allows minimal chemical use.

Name. The variety is dedicated to the Institut Lumière, the national film institute in Lyon, founded in 1982 in the villa and former factory of the brothers Auguste (1862–1954) and Louis (1864–1948) Lumière, the inventors of cinema. On 28 December 1895, at the Grand Café in Paris, the Lumière brothers held the first public film screening in history: the birth date of cinema. Today the Institut Lumière is a film museum, cinema, festival and archive. The variety was created as a tribute to French culture and the birthplace of cinema.

Breeding. CORRECTION: the diary had the hypothesis 'Meilland'; the variety was actually bred by Dominique Massad for Roseraie Guillot (Lyon, France), 2003. Code MASinlum. It belongs to the Generosa® series, Guillot's signature line since the late 1990s (nostalgic 'old-fashioned' shrubs with modern disease resistance). Massad has been the main breeder of Generosa since the late 1990s, mostly producing nostalgic quartered shrubs with a strong fruity-rose scent.

Significance. The 6th Massad variety in our catalogue, alongside Émilien Guillot (2001), Chantal Mérieux (1999), Belle de Segosa (2013), André Turcat (2007) and Froufroutante Jackie (2007). The French Generosa-family is a separate thematic group in the catalogue, representing the 'nostalgic French style'. Institut Lumière plus the other Massad-bred varieties could form a separate page: 'Massad: 6 French shrubs'.