{"id":16085,"date":"2021-05-15T06:58:49","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T04:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/?p=16085"},"modified":"2021-05-16T23:09:20","modified_gmt":"2021-05-16T21:09:20","slug":"150-years-lens-roses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/verhalen\/150-jaar-lens-rozen\/","title":{"rendered":"150 years of Lens Roses"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Belgium is renowned for its exceptional plant nurseries, gardens, gardeners and landscape architects. One of its finest jewels is the Lens Roses nursery, a charming ambassador that exports roses all over the world.<\/p>\n

150 years of excellence in the service of the rose and a secure future<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marie No\u00eblle Cruysmans
\nPhotos: Photoeil, Lens Roses, Eden Magazine.<\/p>\n

The story begins in 1870 in Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Waver near Mechelen, with the founding of the \u2018Grandes P\u00e9pini\u00e8res et Roseraies Louis Lens\u2019. The business would eventually span several generations. Founder Louis starts by growing trees, shrubs and roses. His son Victor continues the work and starts cross-breeding roses. He wants to create cut flowers that ideally also smell nice, as was the fashion at the time. This is how his \u2018Ville de Malines\u2019, \u2018Cardinal Mercier\u2019, \u2018Princesse Jos\u00e9phine Charlotte\u2019 and \u2018Madame Louis Lens\u2019 came to be.<\/p>\n

The company quickly becomes the place to be. Lens grows all the most interesting roses of the moment and ships them without a care across the whole of Europe, to individuals and growers in England, Germany, France or Italy. However, the Second World War brings an end to that formidable momentum. The company is unfortunately shut down. Four years later, the entire collection is lost. To make a fresh start, Victor sends his son Louis junior to large estates in Belgium and Great Britain to collect grafting material there\u2026 A new beginning for the Louis Lens rose nursery.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Poetic and modest<\/strong><\/p>\n

Louis junior, a scientist with a passion for mathematics and astronomy, has to give up his studies to take part in the adventure. He gets straight to work. From 1947 onwards, on the advice of his parents, he starts cross-breeding new roses. After all, tastes have changed since the war. Enthusiasts now want modern roses, in single-coloured, sometimes flamboyant borders full of shrubs with large flowers. Primarily large-flowered hybrid teas and cluster-flowered roses, Floribunda and Polyantha. In 1963, the magnificent \u2018Pascali\u2019, a cross with the well-known hybrid tea \u2018Queen Elizabeth\u2019, causes fireworks. Thanks to its exceptional qualities: health, flower shape and white colour, Pascali wins the largest collection of medals and later also receives the unique accolade of \u201cWorld's Favourite Rose 1991\u201d.<\/p>\n

Delighted with that initial success, Louis continues to cross with more natural roses, which suit him better. Musk hybrids \u2013 originating from a line of R. moschata, Noisette roses and Rosa multiflora \u2013<\/em>are loosely growing shrub roses with flowers in clusters. This group was developed in England in 1913 by Reverend Joseph Pemberton and includes well-known varieties such as \u2018Penelope\u2019, \u2018Cornelia\u2019 or \u2018Felicia\u2019. Louis prefers to work with these graceful and fragrant rose bushes, which are also very free-flowering and hardy. Like Pemberton, he uses the rose \u2018Trier\u2019 \u2013 bred in 1904 by Peter Lambert \u2013 with fragrant double creamy-white flowers with a yellow tinge. This rose is the origin of many moschata hybrids.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>When he crosses that one with R. chinensis \u2018Mutabilis\u2019, a risky undertaking, he obtains the delightful \u2018Plaisanterie\u2019, with flowers that change colour throughout the flowering season: orange in bud, soft yellow as they open, then pink and ending in dark pink to almost violet. Gradually, Louis becomes the specialist in unique crosses, going against most breeders who continue to work mainly with large-flowered classic hybrid teas and cluster-flowered roses. The whole world envies him for his refined \u2018Guirlande d\u2019Amour\u2019, \u2018Pleine de Gr\u00e2ce\u2019, \u2018Bouquet Parfait\u2019 or his tributes to virtuosos and composers such as \u2018Ravel\u2019, \u2018Schubert\u2019, \u2018Sibelius\u2019, \u2018Puccini\u2019, \u2018Paganini\u2019 or \u2018Verdi\u2019. His nursery is a true treasure trove, with an incredible collection of botanical roses that had sometimes even disappeared in situ. His well-known \u2018Rush\u2019, descended from Rosa multiflora, has the vigour of a wild rose combined with continuous flowering until the frosts\u2026<\/p>\n

Louis Lens found a successor for his nursery with the Rudy and Anne Velle-Boudolf family in Oudenburg. Following the master's example, Anne has been crossing and breeding since 1992. Her creations include \u2018Dinky\u2019, \u2018Jean St\u00e9phenne\u2019, \u2018Gaard um Tiizenbierg\u2019 and \u2018Caroline's Heart\u2019. Lens Roses nursery is respected and loved in Belgium and all over the world. Discover the latest new developments from Lens Roses, and the classics by Louis Lens, at the festive Lens Roses exhibition at the Hex garden and plant days.
\n<\/em><\/strong>www.hex.be\/exposant\/lens-roses<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thanks to Eden Magazine. You can read the full article by No\u00eblle Cruysmans, featuring photographs of the best roses by Louis Lens and the selection by Anne Velle-Boudolf, in the spring 2021 issue of Eden Magazine<\/em><\/strong> \u00a0 https:\/\/edenmagazine.be\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Bouquet Parfait<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Dentelle de Bruges<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Waterloo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Pascali<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Countess Michel d\u2019Ursel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
St\u00e9phanie d'Ursel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Jean St\u00e9phenne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Sourire d’Isabelle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lens Flair<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Belgi\u00eb staat bekend om zijn uitzonderlijke kwekerijen, tuinen, tuiniers en tuinarchitecten. Een van de mooiste pareltjes is rozenkwekerij Lens Roses, een charmante ambassadrice, die rozen over de hele wereld brengt. 150 jaar uitmuntendheid in dienst van de roos en een zekere toekomst Tekst: Marie No\u00eblle Cruysmans Foto\u2019s: Photoeil, Lens Roses, Eden Magazine. Het verhaal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":16088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[247],"class_list":["post-16085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rozen"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16085\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hex.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16085"}],"curies":[{"name":"well played","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}