About the name
Name. «Madame Hardy» = «Madam Hardy». In honour of Marie-Thérèse Pezard, wife of the breeder Alexandre Hardy. A touching family dedication from a husband to his wife. The original name was «Félicité Hardy» («félicité» — «happiness»), but it quickly changed to plain Madame Hardy in the catalogues. One example of «wife roses» of the nineteenth century — the tradition of breeders naming their best varieties after their own wives (as Sally Holmes was later named, in 1976).
Breeding. Raised by Julien-Alexandre Hardy (1787–1876) at the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden, Paris, France). Hardy was head gardener of the Jardin du Luxembourg from 1817 to 1859 — 42 years! During that time he created more than 200 rose varieties. Introduced 1832. Parentage unknown; DNA analysis in the 2010s showed that its closest relatives are 'Bullata' and 'Petite de Hollande' — a hint at Centifolia-blood in its ancestry.
Significance. WFRS OLD ROSE HALL OF FAME 2006 — confirmed by the official list at worldrose.org. A UNIQUE GREEN «EYE» (button-eye) in the centre of the flower — a folded inner petal of green colour. This is the variety's calling card, a rare decorative trait among all roses. One of the best white Old Garden Roses of all time. Outstanding resistance 5/5 — 0–5% infection in trials at the Montreal Botanical Garden (one of the toughest trials). USDA 4b — throughout Ukraine without protection. Tolerates partial shade — a rarity for roses. 194 years in cultivation without a break. The legacy of Alexandre Hardy — one of the most influential French breeders of the nineteenth century. Once-flowering — typical of Damasks.