§| The Scented Qarden fj£ 



cultivators of France. M. Breon named it Rose de 

 l'Isle de Bourbon. Breon was convinced that it was a 

 hybrid from one of the above roses, i.e. either the 

 Common China or the Red Four Seasons. Redoute 

 painted this rose from those growing in the Duke of 

 Orleans' garden at Neuilly, in 1824. In the text Thory 

 says, ' This rose, according to His Highness the Duke of 

 Orleans, grows naturally in the Island of Bourbon. Seeds 

 brought from there some years ago have reproduced it 

 in his garden at Neuilly, where our drawing for this work 

 was made. Its appearance is very beautiful. The abun- 

 dance of its flowers, which are sometimes nearly single, 

 but more often semi-double, their beautiful colour and 

 perfume, will no doubt make it much sought after for 

 outdoor gardens.' 



Of the hybrids reared later, Charles Desprez and Mme 

 Desprez (both raised by Desprez of Guignes) were the 

 first. In 1845, Deluze of Lyons raised the beautiful 

 Souvenir de Malmaison, which fortunately we still have. 

 Few, alas ! remain of the true old Bourbon roses, but of 

 those a few at least should find a place in every rose- 

 garden, not only for their old-world beauty, but also for 

 their exquisite fragrance. However small a garden I had, 

 I should grow Souvenir de Malmaison and Zephyrine 

 Drouhin. Zephyrine Drouhin, with its lovely deepish 

 pink petals, its vigorous growth and abundance of bloom, 

 its delicious perfume (it has the true old-rose perfume) 

 is a rose for every garden. As a bush it is beautiful, but 

 against a wall as a pillar rose it is at its glorious best. 

 Grown against a house its masses of bloom give that 

 homely cottage look which we all love. If I had to live in 

 a newly built house, I should smother at least one wall 

 128 



