PEACE ROSE 1945

 I can tell that fall is nudging at the gate. The light is low, and the deer have started to bring their babies, their big babies at that,  up the hill to nibble on yummy things. And the Peace Rose, which was named  the Best Rose of the World, in 1976,  is blooming again. It is an amazing rose with a fascinating history. Smuggled out, during war time, on one of the last planes out of France, it has survived.

 The gardener who created the Peace Rose once wrote that he could not believe that one simple seed would created such a beauty that might have been overlooked or forgotten, due to the events of the second World War.

It blooms basically free of blemish or disease. It is perfect.

   The longest living peace rose  has lived since 815 A.D., over a thousand years , in Hildensheim, Germany.In 2012 the rose was given a special title "Herb of the Year."

 In 1935, the Peace Rose was created by Francis Meilland. On April 29, 1945, the rose formerly known as Goiai, was re-named the Peace Rose, for obvious reasons.

It is paired with the  Black Eyed Susan, or Rudbekia , a cone flower, flowering at this time of year. It's known as the Maryland state flower, since 1918. Bees LOVE Rudbekia.

 Black Eyed Susanis easy to grow, prolific and keeps growing and growing year after year.

 Drought tolerant and resistant to most ikky diseases. Leave the leftover blooms for the birds. They will love the dried seeds as the season winids down.

 The Peace Rose has been called the "Rose of the Century". We can be thankful that Francis Meilland saved the seeds from the original Peace Rose, when World War 2 began. He smuggled the seeds out of France to different countries. After the Liberation of France, Meilland discovered that his rose seeds were safe. He wrote to Field Marshall Allan Brook, asking him to name the rose.

 When Berlin fell officially on April 29th 1945, the rose was given its new name by one Robert Pyle. "We hope the Peace Rose will influence men's thoughts for everlasting peace."

"Blessed are the Peacemakers on earth." ( William Shakespeare)