Le verger et la roseraie du Relais de Poste aux Chevaux

The collection of old roses from the Ardennes heritage is the result of 10 years of prospecting by JC Nicolas (1992-2002), a specialist in old roses, who listed 164 roses in the 519 Ardennes cemeteries of the 503 villages in the department. 28 varieties were found and saved (first reconditioned in the Drôme, then repatriated during the creation of the Roseraie du Patrimoine.)

The collection was planted in autumn 2003 in the former Relais de Poste aux Chevaux and Messagerie Royales dating from the 2004th century, parish enclosure, in Launois-sur-Vence in the center of the department. The heritage rose garden bloomed for the first time in June 19 and was officially inaugurated on the 29th of that month, as part of the 2005th Regional Festival of Crafts and Creation in the presence of the President of the Regional Council of Champagne-Ardennes . In 25, as part of the Pays des Crêtes, 12 saved varieties were planted to mark out a heritage route, XNUMX towns bloom, here a parish enclosure, there a Calvary or a fountain, with varieties already installed, here in Launois .

In the roses found with the greatest frequency, we note: Rosa alba simplex, Rosa alba plena, “Rosa alba rosea”, “Rosa gallica officinalis”, “Rose de Resht”, “Pompon de Bourgogne”, “Rosa centifolia”, “Little Wite Pet”, “Blush Noisette”, “Old Blush”, “Marie Pavie”. Others are totally unknown to the public, even informed, and, faced with the impossibility of finding their identity, they received the name of their Ardennes village, like the roses of Fléville, Cernion, Liart, Villers-Semeuse, from Condé les Autry, from Mouzon, from Remilly-les-Pothées, from Saint Pierremont, from Villers-le-Tourneur, from Laval-Dieu, from Maimby, from Monthois, from Remonville.

The work carried out for research is the result of a collaboration between Mr. Nicolas and the Amicale des Jardiniers Ardennais, the Amicale maintains the rose garden today with the help of Mr. Forgeard, nurseryman in Saint-Lambert- and-Mont-de-Jeux.

Near this conservatory garden, it is also possible to visit the conservatory orchard, with nearly 70 local varieties of fruit trees. This orchard is the result of a project by students from the IUT of Charleville-Mézières which aims to safeguard part of the fruit heritage of the Ardennes.
There are local varieties of cherries, plums, apples, pears, walnuts, each variety is now identified and its usefulness indicated on a plaque planted at the foot of the tree. 

The work of identifying and maintaining the orchard falls to the volunteers of the Croq'Ardennes association, Ardennes section of Croqueurs de Pommes.