Biography

Born in Germany during the Second World War. Trained as nurseryman in East Germany. Escaped from East Germany in 1960. Worked in Nurseries in West Germany, Switzerland and in England where he started to specialise in rose growing. Came to Pretoria in 1962 to work for Buss Nurseries, which became under his management the largest rose growers in South Africa. Started Ludwig’s Roses north of Pretoria in 1971. From small beginnings it has now become world renown and the premier rose nursery in South Africa with the largest selection of rose varieties available. Ludwig’s pioneered the propagation of roses in container with the result that today gardeners in South Africa can select roses by their flowers for most of the year in the nurseries and garden centres. Ludwig’s has built up a trustful relationship with over 25 breeders from all over the world and is annually testing hundreds of their new varieties for their performance in the South African climate. From these a selection of 10 to 20 new varieties are named and released annually to the market. Many of these roses with South African names have become very popular. Ludwig Taschner married a girl from Upington in 1978 and they have three children. Ludwig Taschner is a past President for three terms of the Federation of Rose Societies of South Africa. He is also the editor of all their publications for the past 30 years. For his service to the Rose Society he received the “Zoe Gilbert Award”. He was also secretary of the Rose Growers Association for 25 years and was honoured with the “Gold Medal” by his colleagues of the South African Nurseryman’ Association. For his service as secretary and treasurer of the World Federation of Rose Society he received the “Gold Pin”. Under his initiative the Cut Rose Growers Association of Southern Africa was constituted in 1990 and guided this Association as secretary until its amalgamation with the South African Flower Growers Association in 1998. In 2006 he was awarded Honorary Life member of the South African Flower Growers Association. Ludwig Taschner wrote and published “LIVING WITH ROSES” A handbook for the commercial production of Cut Roses in 1991 and wrote “ROSES” which was published by STRUIK in April 2001 . A catalogue describing about 800 varieties, many illustrated is distributed to 50 000 gardeners annually free of charge. The e-newsletter talkingroses@ludwigsroses.co.za is forwarded to 15 000 gardeners monthly. www.luwigsroses.co.za is premiere website on roses in South Africa with google search’. Ludwig’s Rose Farm is open 7 days a week to the Public. Expert advice is available. The roses on view in their ROSE MILE and SHOW GARDENS is a sight to behold and an excellent way of selecting the most suitable variety for one’s own garden. Ludwig has developed special fertilisers and pesticides which are freely distributed. In addition to the main farm where all the propagation of roses takes place Ludwig developed Rose Centres in Johannesburg, in the Western Cape, in Kwazulu Natal and an commercial cut rose farm in Pretoria East.

Omtrent die outeur:

Ludwig Taschner het Ludwig's Roses in 1971 gestig. Vandag is dit wêreldwyd bekend en is dit die vernaamste rooskwekery in Suid- Afrika, met die grootste verskeidenheid roosvariëteite beskikbaar. Met voortdurende vernuwing, het Ludwig's Roses op die voorgrond van die kwekery-industrie gebly. Ludwig het deur die wêreld gereis om by mense geesdrif te wek vir dié veelsydige blom. Hy was vir 25 jaar voorsitter van die Rose Growers Association en is die outeur van Rose, uitgegee deur Struik Uitgewers.