They worked together at the Meilland nursery in Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, collaborating on the selection of new rose varieties; Louisette was the administrator for the nursery. Months later, right before Germany's invasion of France, Francis sent cuttings of the new  rose cultivar to fellow rose growers in Germany, Italy, and Turkey, and also to the Conard-Pyle company in the U.S. Francis named the pink and yellow blend rose, ‘Madame Antoine Meilland,’ after his late mother, Claudia. In the U.S., the new rose was successfully propagated.
Francis and Louisette worked together at the Meilland nursery, focusing on selecting new rose varieties; Louisette managed the nursery's operations. Before Germany's invasion of France, Francis shared his new rose with fellow growers worldwide and named it ‘Madame Antoine Meilland’ after his mother Claudia. The new rose was successfully introduced in the U.S.