Laffay lived through two revolutions. One involved Napoleon, the other involved roses. His role in the former was minor; his role in the latter central. He successfully bred more great roses in more official rose classes than any other breeder can claim to have done. Most of the roses on this list are beautiful, foliferous, fragrant, and tough. I grow Great Western on four inches of packed, impoverished clay atop four feet of crushed limestone. In six years it has built up into a nice, arching plant that covers itself with flowers for a week each spring. It still looks a bit stick-like but given its difficult location it is doing remarkably well. If pruned properly, the roses are purple and fragrant like the one shown in the photo.

Henri Martin is one of the highest rated old roses. And Cardinal Richelieu one of the most distinctive. Amadis, when in bloom is a glory to behold, covered in mid pink large flowers. And the tissue thin and slightly waxy petals of Alfred de Dalmas (aka Mousseline ) are quite lovely with the light shining through them.