| Oh, no man knows Through what wild centuries Roves back the rose. Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) |
La Roseraie de l'Haÿ-les-Roses
This garden claims to be the oldest surviving rose-garden in the world. By 1899 M. Jules Gravereaux had gathered together so many plants he employed the services of landscape architect Edouard André to design him this special garden for his collection. In 1900 the first catalogue was produced, listing 3,000 varieties.
By 1910, the renown of the rose garden had spread all over the world. The town of l'Haÿ, proud of its local claim to fame, changed its name to l'Haÿ-les-Roses.
Now owned by the Val-de-Marne County Council, the garden has been maintained over the years and is still a magnificent spectacle at the height of the rose season, with its cascades of roses over metal-framed arches. The collection is displayed in a thematic way with roses grouped according to rose type, history and origin, tracing the history of the rose from its earliest beginning. A notable feature is a re-creation of the Empress Josephine's Malmaison Collection of species roses set out in beds reminiscent of her former garden.
If you love roses, the abundance of hybrid teas and floribundas and the interesting rose museum, make this garden a notable place to visit. La Roseraie de l'Haÿ-les-Roses is said to be the grandest of all French rose gardens.