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Hans Hachmann
1930-2004
"Rhododendron-hybridizer with passion"
That's how Walter Schmalscheidt describes him in his book "Rhododendron- und Azaleenzüchtung in Deutschland".
(Hybridizing of Rhododendrons and Azaleas in Germany)
I was so privileged to
meet him several times at his nursery in Barmstedt, north of Hamburg. He
always was willing to tell about his passion and prepared to take
his 'hybridizing-book' to mention the parentage of some cross and why
these parents. It always stroke me, that in spite of all his many awards,
golden, silver and bronze medals for his new rhododendrons, he remained so
modest. I was so happy to see that at the ARS Convention in Schotland in
1996 he received the Gold Medall for his entire work with rhododendrons
and azaleas. He deserved it so much!!
As a young nursery-worker
he practised his skills at the famous nursery of Bruns and Hobbie near
Westerstede, also learning about hybridizing at the rose-nursery of Mr.
Kordes.
Then, back at the fruit-nursery of his father he made his first steps with
hybridizing rhododendrons and azaleas, in 1951. The first results were not
so good, but increasingly better and improving his results with i.e. Rh. 'Kokardia' und 'Ornament'.
Since then, the end of the fifties, he introduced about 400 (!!) new
hybrids. Now - we have to consider, that he also had to lead the nursery
and he also hybridized with i.e. Forsythia, heathers, Hamamelis and more.
The goals in his hybridizing work were to get rhodos with good hardiness,
bright strong colours, great floridity and fine leaves. How he succeeded
in this you can see in my albums in which I not even mention all of his
hybrids. Next spring
(2009) his son Holger will introduce more new hybrids and also his new
'Sortimentsbuch'. Then I will add new albums with his newest
introductions.
Finally
I will also mention Mr. Gerhard Stück, who worked out with his enthusiasm
Hachmanns 'Sortimentsbuch' so many years, so that it really became a book
with so much information. You should certainly order this book.
See
also the review of (almost) all the Hachmann hybrids on the left side
below. (link)
Literature:
Hachmann's Sortimentsbuch - www.hachmann.de
(new print spring 2014)
'
Jahrbuch' of the 'Deutsche Rhododendron Gesellschaft' 1983 en 1990
Walter Schmalscheidt: Rhododendron- und Azaleenzüchtung in
Deutschland ISBN 3-928521-00-4 (for sale by author) |
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Explanation
for the pictures and names of plants:
W=winterhardyness W1 tot
-18C; W2 -18 tot -21C;
W3 -21 tot -25C; W4 >-25C
H=growing size in 10 to 15 jears:
H1 5-
40cm; H2 40-80cm; H3 80-150cm H4<150cm
T=flowering time: T1 before April 15; T2 2e half of April;
T3 May 1-20; T4 May 20 - 30; T4 June 1-15; T5
after June 15
Rhododendron-names with © or ®
mean: patented plant, forbidden to propagate and sell!!
Year date after the rhodo-name means the year of introduction.
It
is possible that some of the Hachmann hybrids are out of sale at the
Hachmann nursery. |
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