A newly-bred rose was christened by the Grand Ducal couple and now bears their names: Grand Duke Guillaume & Grand Duchess Stéphanie.
Ann Velle-Boudolff, rose breeder and creator of the new rose said: “It’s an old-fashioned rose with a green heart at the centre. It is lightly fragranced and has lots of foliage, very resistant, very dense, which will last a long time on the plant until November.”
She compared the development of the flower with that of a child, saying one never knows exactly what will come out when, and the process can take years.
“You need a mother plant with pollen from a father plant. If you’re lucky, it will bear fruit, and when you take the seeds inside and bury them, you hope for a new plant.”
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Naming roses after members of the Grand Ducal family is a tradition which started with Grand Duke Adolphe, a rose enthusiast, who kicked off the habit in 1891.
Nicole Trossen, president of the Patrimoine Roses Luxembourg asbl, explained: “It slowly gained momentum and carried on throughout the years, and we have kept it going up until present. Even in the years when roses are not spoken of very much in Luxembourg.”
The flowers have special historical meaning in the Grand Duchy, as in the past it was a real rose nation.
“In 1900 Luxembourg was the world champion in exporting roses across the globe. We had lots of expert rose breeders, and around 400 types of roses were grown in Luxembourg.”
The roses, whether they are named after royals or other esteemed personalities in Luxembourg, belong to the overall image of the capital. Luxembourg City mayor Lydie Polfer said: “The most well-known is the Grand Duchess Charlotte from 1938. In wartime, she left for America and took the rose with her, and brought it back when she returned home. From that moment on they were planted in abundance, even in our municipal park.”
It is not yet known if the Grand Duke Guillaume Grand-Duchess Stéphanie will also have a permanent place in the park, but it is clear that it will bloom in many places across the country, continuing a tradition of 130 years and counting.
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