Cécile Brünner Rose

When my mother and grandmother talked about the Cécile Brünner climbing rose, I assumed it was named after a man. They pronounced it "see'-sul broo'-ner." In fact, this robust climber was named in 1881 for Mademoiselle Cécile Brünner by the well-regarded French rosarian Jean Claude Pernet of Lyon.

I have all but given up trying to grow roses where I live. No matter how much I spray them or use systemic granules to combat pests, most of the roses continue to suffer from the maladies that often beset them in this microclimate: powdery mildew, rust, black spot, aphids, and hungry deer.

But in the back garden there is a magnificent specimen of the Cécile Brünner rose that has flourished for around a half century. It was planted by the late Greta Salonen who put in most of the mature trees and shrubs when she lived here. Brava Greta! And thank you!!