peace

Every rose variety has an individual name, granted by the developer and used by growers around the world to identify the cultivar. One of my father’s favorites (and mine) is known as “peace.” Just before the German invasion of France during World War II, French horticulturalist Francis Meilland sent cuttings from his newest hybrid tea rose to colleagues in allied nations, so the rose could be protected and cultivated. The rose was officially named “Peace” on April 29, 1945, a date which coincided with the fall of Berlin and the end of World War II. A fitting name for such