News
News
14 June 2011

CAYEUX : love for irises in the fourth generation

 

Ravissant

 

Provencal

 

Aurelie

 

For many of us France is associated not only with fashionable houses, fine cuisine and subtle fragrance of perfumes but also with landscape art many principles of which took root in Russia.

 

Iris is an ornament of any garden whether it is a luxurious city park or a modest flowerbed near your country cottage. The CAYEUXs have been engaged in selection of these flowers of rare beauty for over 100 years.

 

Creation of an iris collection was started by FERDINAND CAYEUX (1864 -1948). The passionate breeder, creator of many new varieties was awarded dozens of medals including the famous Dyke Medal which acknowledges the best irises of France.

 

In 1928 Douglas Pattison wrote: “… according to the international hybridizers’ community Mr. CAYEUX today is the most advanced specialist in the world”. FERDINAND CAYEUX was the first to hybridize French irises with English and American varieties. Thanks to the “blood” of gorgeous “breed” of CAYEUX’s irises American cultivars are still considered among the world’s best.

 

FERDINAND CAYEUX managed to preserve his unique iris collection during the Second World War. His business passed to his son Rene CAYEUX (1896-1970) whose main contribution was creation of the first catalogues with color photos!

 

Since 1960, in France there is a new wave of interest to the iris culture. Jean CAYEUX, grandson of the great Ferdinand, moves to the town of Gien. His first breeding experiments Jean conducts at the age of 19. An amazing range of colors and shades of irises created by him won international recognition and in particular by the American Iris Society (in 1993).

 

Since 1990 the family business has been headed by Richard CAYEUX. Nowadays in his collection, the largest in Europe, there are over 1000 iris varieties! Among them there are tall bearded, dwarf and water irises, as well as Siberica and Japanese irises. Visitors of the open air sites are impressed by richness and diversity of color combinations, by splendor of scents. Usually flowering takes place in France in May, and during this period hundreds of professional and amateur flower growers from many countries come on tour. Collectors and specialists can’t help respect devotion to one’s favorite business. Neither can it fail to win international recognition.

 

I was fortunate to meet Richard CAYEUX at the autumn exhibition in Courson, near Paris, and had the honor to inform him that he had been awarded the First place at the Moscow International Competition for his Ravissant variety. In translation it means delicious, and the flower more than lives up to its name. By the way, its gorgeous cultivar was also awarded at Competitions in Florence and Munich in 2009 (both times the First place).

 

The breeder has much to be proud of: three prestigious international competitions, authoritative jury (all three competitions were conducted “blindly”) and unanimous recognition! Mr. CAYEUX thinks that Ravissant variety gathered the best properties of modern cultivars. He is genuinely pleased that years of effort have been crowned with such remarkable success.

 

Numerous awards and titles are evidence of the international recognition. In 2001 Mr. CAYEUX was awarded Breeder Medal by the American Iris Society. In 2008 Richard CAYEUX received from Americans Medal of Honor for gigantic contribution into popularization of irises. By the way, in iris collection which CAYEUX House sold in 2010 there were over 120 varieties of their own selection!

 

In 2010 irises of CAYEUX’s collection took part in prestigious international competitions. In Munich "Ciel et Mer" (Sky and See) variety was awarded the first place, and "Coup de Soleil" (Sun Stroke) variety was awarded an honorable third place. It caused legitimate pride of their creators! "Ciel et Mer" variety was also awarded in at the competition in Florence.

 

These were not the last awards. What a self-respecting flower breeder will not accept the challenge of participation in Chelsea? Two varieties "Rose de la Vallee" and «Impressions de Jouy" from the collection of the year of 2010 were selected for participation in the final Competition for the Best Plant of the Year. This Competition is organized by the Royal Horticultural Society. Mr. CAYEUX notes with special pride that for the first time in history two breeding achievements from France had a chance to compete with eighteen English novelties! It is worth noting that the booth of the French hybridizer was awarded Silver Medal three year running.

 

This year Mr. CAYEUX is coming to Russia for the first time to take part in “FlowersExpo” exhibition which will take place in Crocus Expo, 30 August – 2 September, 2011.

 

Everyone is welcome on the French collective stand!