Three Deer Proof Old Garden Moss Roses: General Kleber, Louis Gimard, and Madame de La Roche Lambert

Général Kléber’s roses exist as the invention in 1856 of Biarritz-born rosarian Monsieur Robert, as:

• Angers foreman to Paris-born rosarian Jean-Pierre Vibert (January 31, 1777 – January 18, 1866), 1845-;
• Vibert nursery owner, 1851-.

They expect:

• Full or partial sun;
• Height-equivalent spacing;
• Pruning of damaged branches after spring / summer blooms;
• Slightly moist loam;
• Soil pH of 5.6 – 6.5;
• Temperatures between -30°F (-34.4°C) and 86°F (30°C).

They offer:

• Clustered or individual, double, 40+-petaled, 3.94-inch (10-centimeter), rose-pink, salmon-tinted flowers showcasing central button-eyes, quartered rosettes, silver-pink undersides;
• Height and width of 4 - 6 feet (1.2 – 1.85 meters) each;
• Mint-green, rough leaves;
• Moss-covered, pine-scented bristles, buds, sepals, stalks;
• Propagation by budding, cutting, grafting, suckering;
• Smooth stems;
• Strong, sweet scent.

Rosa Général Kléber claims vigorous life cycles and natural histories. The name commemorates Strasbourg-born architect, linguist, and officer Jean-Baptiste Kléber (March 9, 1753 – June 14, 1800). The career of the French and German language speaker epitomizes:

• Environmentalism, as Arc de Triomphe designer Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin’s (1739 – January 21, 1811) student, 1772 – 1774, and Saint-Erhard de Thann health center / municipal building designer, 1787 - 1793;
• Generosity, as leniency-advocating Brigade General defeating Roman Catholic, royalist-sympathizing Vendéans at Cholet, LeMans, and Savenay, 1793;
• Indomitability, as Egyptian expedition commander / governor and Syrian campaign commander to Napoléon Bonaparte (August 15, 1769 – May 5, 1821), 1798-;
• Knowledge, as Isis Freemasonry Lodge Venerable Master, 1798.

A survivalist rose therefore honors a survivalist general.

French and German influences likewise contribute to Louis Gimard old garden rose back-stories. For example, the given name Louis functions as the French form of the German name anciently known as Chlodowech (“glorious warrior”) and presently as Ludwig (“Lewis”). The last name Gimard has same-meaning origins in the Germanic words wig (“combat”) and mar (“illustrious”). Its floral application is thanks to Passins-born rosarian Jean Claude Pernet, père (October 15, 1832 – March 31, 1896), as:

• Pupil of his father Joseph Pernet (père), a Cruvière-based rose cultivator;
• Apprentice of Gillonnay-born Jean Baptiste Guillot, père (December 12, 1803 - April 18, 1882), La Guillotière-based nurseryman, 1837 - 1871;
• Rose-breeding associate of Lyon-born rosarian Jean-Claude Ducher (1820 – January 24, 1874) in Palace of the Arts seedling exposition of June 16, 1845;
• Rose-breeding business owner and operator, 1856-.

Rosa ‘Louis Gimard’ behaves as valiantly as Rosa Général Kléber.  Louis Gimard roses demand minimal inputs even in difficult locations and poor soils. They nevertheless enjoy:

• Full or partial sun;
• Pruning of disfiguring branches after spring / summer bloom;
• Slightly moist soil;
• Soil pH of 5.5 – 7.5;
• Temperatures between -30°C (-34.4°C) and 86°F (30°C).

They offer:

• Arching, climbing canes;
• Bristle-covered, crimson, lax-growing, slender stems;
• Clustered, globular, pendant, 3.15-inch (8-centimeter) flowers with crimson-centered, 40+ double, full, grey pink-edged, lilac-toned, tight-packed, turned-back petals;
• Dark green, oval, red-margined, shiny, thin, tooth-edged leaves;
• Height and spread/width of 4.92 feet (1.5 meters) by 3.3 feet (1.01 meters);
• Khaki moss-covered, pine-scented buds, receptacles, sepals, stalks;
• Propagation by budding, cutting, grafting;
• Strong, sweet fragrance.

Madame de la Roche-Lambert roses are not as strong-scented as Général Kléber and Louis Gimard roses. Their charmingly enduring, sweet fragrance nevertheless discourages deer just as much as do the more evident and human-tolerant aromas of their fellow old garden roses. But at the same time, they do not at all repel apian, human or lepidopteran admirers, what with:

• Age-darkening, rough-surfaced, round leaves;
• Arching, climbing, thorny canes;
• Clustered, globular, light-cupped, mauve-pink, multi-petaled, pendant, short-stemmed, small-budded, 2.76-inch (7-centimeter) blooms with pale crimson undersides;
• Feathery, light green moss-fringed, pine-scented buds, sepals, stems.

They exhibit mature heights and spreads/widths of 4.10 feet (1.25 meters) by 3.28 feet (1 meter).

Despite impressive pest-resistance, they may suffer from mildew powdering floral stems.

Like Général Kléber, Rosa ‘Madame de La Roche-Lambert’ commemorates Monsieur Robert’s rose-breeding experience and expertise. But Madame’s roses configure the Basque Country native’s earlier rose-breeding achievements. They date back to 1851. They honor Berthe Louise Adrienne de Thélusson (June 4, 1823 – October 13, 1913). Madame’s rose is a fitting tribute to:

• The bride of Gabriel Joseph Marie de La Rochelambert-Montfort (December 23, 1812 – November 30, 1861) by a wedding ceremony conducted on July 6, 1841 in Paris;
• The mother of six children (Henri [1842 – 1926], Laurence [1844 – 1876], Geneviève [1848 – 1920], Odette [1850 – 1873], Isabelle [1854 – 1911], and Françoise [1855 – 1929];
• The occupant of Château de La Rochelambert, still standing in Auvergne on Saint Paulien’s basalt cliffs.

The fragrance, look, and palatability of old garden moss roses attract bees, birds, butterflies, and people but discourage deer.

• Old garden moss roses in general and Général Kléber, Louis Gimard, and Madame de La Roche-Lambert’s roses in particular emit fresh, sweet, strong scents.
• They harbor rough-surfaced leaves and stems.
• Their edible parts -- hips, oils, petals, waters -- integrate deliciously and easily as fresh or processed flavorings or ingredients.
• They lack the modern rose’s susceptibility to environmental stresses.
• They overlap in no-fuss, no-muss cultivation and propagation.

So other than rare occurrences of aphids or mildew, they ramble, smell, and taste in ways which please apian, avian, human, and lepidopteran admirers, but repel deer (unless super-ailing or super-famished).

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Rose Garden Park, Winterthur, canton of Zürich, northeastern Switzerland: Patrick Nouhailler (Nouhailler), CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_nouhailler/39764964952/

Musée historique de Strasbourg, Alsace Region, northeastern France: Ji-Elle, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Musée_historique_de_Strasbourg-Kléber.jpg

Jardin botanique de Montréal, Rosa 'Louis Gimard': Nadiatalent, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosa_'Louis_Gimard'_1.jpg

Lyon Peninsula, central Lyon, east central France: Leogs, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parc_de_la_Tête_d'Or_-_rose_du_jardin.jpg

Rose Garden Park, Winterthur, canton of Zürich, northeastern Switzerland: Patrick Nouhailler (Nouhailler), CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_nouhailler/38897919755/

Biarritz, Pyrénées Atlantiques department, overlooks Bay of Biscay along southwestern France's Atlantic Coast: Rubendene, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Biarritz_01.jpg

Saint-Paulien, dép. de la Haute-Loire, Auvergne, south central France: Torsade de Pointes, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint-Paulien_La_Rochelambert1.JPG?uselang=fr

West Hill, Devon, South West England: Matt Buck (mattbuck4950), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbuck007/6043740333/

19th Century American Trade Cards: Boston Public Library, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/9726017374/

'Mme de la Roche-Lambert' was introduced as a moss rose in 1851: Ulf Eliasson (Epibase), CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosa_MmeDeLaRocheLambert1c.UME.jpg

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