Saison II, un projet de Simon de Dreuille & Elena Prendergast. Photographies d'Antoine Espinasseau.
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Photo by Jethro Turner.
Rose Papa Meilland
Stepane is the youngest of “the old timers,” as he calls them. He means that he is the youngest of the generation of florists that works ‘a l’ancienne’: No debt, no extra stock, no fancy schools, just father to son and good old fashioned hard work.
It goes without saying that both his parents were in the trade. He of course, was going to do something else - international business, he thought, or import/export maybe…
Fine, said his Mother, but how about you try your hand at selling a flower or two first?So at 15 Stephane started at Rungis and has never looked back.
‘The Papa Meilland is particularty special to me, old papa Boucreux* grew it especially for my father, since he passed away, he still makes sure I get the first bunch or two. It’s a very difficult rose to produce. Like many of the highly odiforus roses, it’s not very profitable. It is magnificent but does not keep well. He only produces about 150 stems a year.’
* The most prestigious Rose producer in the Ile-de-France.Grown: Jean Claude Boucreux.
Supplier: M.Boucreux directly.
Price: Around 5 euros a stem.
Longevity: Between 3 days and a week.
Preparation: They come prepared, just re-cut and change the water from time to time.
Color: The color is a lost black, a deep purple velours that is almost florescent at the edges.
Scent: Very strong. The ultimate in scented roses.
Family: Rose.Stephane Romanelli / Arum Art Floral / 8 rue Nicolas Flamel / 75004 / 01 42 78 62 98
