History Roseraie de L'Haÿ

jules gravereaux in rose garden in 1900

jules gravereaux (who made fortune in bon marché department store in paris), purchased large property in l haÿ 8 km south of paris in 1892 , hired famous landscape architect , horticulturalist Édouard andré lay out garden containing 1600 roses. garden claims first ever garden dedicated exclusively roses.

gravereaux collected roses on europe , started create new rose varieties production of rose oil perfume, facilitate process of distillation. worked on hybrids of rosa rugosa , developed cultivar rose à parfum de l haÿ , among others. in created 27 new cultivars, rose oil production. fragrant, crimson-purple rugosa hybrid roseraie de l haÿ , named garden.

roseraie de l haÿ reached peak capacity @ 8000 roses in 1910, every type known @ time.

in may 1914 name of town of l haÿ became officially l haÿ-les-roses (meaning l haÿ roses ) in honour of renowned rose garden.

laid out in thirteen formal sections, today roseraie du val-de-marne has total of 13,100 rose bushes featuring 3200 species , varieties. garden has modern french , foreign roses on 1 side, formal rose garden reflecting pool in center, , old garden roses , classic roses on other side.

the site has been judged historic monument. pavilions protected.

in year 2000, l haÿ-les-roses public park roseraie de l haÿ commemorated marker part of official méridienne verte (green meridian). line continuation of paris meridian mentioned in dan brown book da vinci code. meridian has been referred serpent rouge passing through church of saint-sulpice, paris , rose line.