Ludwig’s Roses
Ludwig Taschner left his home country of East Germany in 1960 and established his now famous rose farm, Ludwig’s Roses, shortly after his arrival in South Africa more than 40 years ago. As a young man Ludwig had worked in nurseries in West Germany, Switzerland and in England, where he started to specialise in rose growing, and Ludwig’s has become a household name when talking roses in South Africa and further afield.
The 'Our Anniversary' rose. Picture courtesy of Ludwig's Roses
Just Joey, Burning Sky, Casanova, Esther Geldenhuys, Germiston Gold, Rainbow Nation, Madiba and South Africa… these are names of just a few of Ludwig Taschner’s propagated rose varieties. His first catalogue in 1975 offered only 180 varieties, a number that today exceeds the 1 000 variety mark. All are unique in colour, fragrance and growth habit and have established their grower as a world-renowned nurseryman.
Taschner’s rose farm has been around for almost 40 years and Ludwig’s is now a family name when talking roses in South Africa and further afield. He worked in nurseries in West Germany, Switzerland and in England when he was a young man. It was there that he started to specialise in rose growing after escaping from East Germany in 1960.
Ludwig’s Roses, the largest rose grower in the country, is run by Taschner and his son who employ more than 130 people.
Taschner changed the face of rose growing by propagating plants in containers, thus offering plants for sale all year round. Previously, pruned, bare-rooted plants were only available in the winter months. Gardeners could now select roses by their flowers, fragrance and growth habits for most of the year. This popularised roses and their numbers bloomed in local gardens.
Today, with more than 25 breeders from all over the world working with him, Taschner annually tests thousands of new varieties to see how they withstand our local climate. From these, a selection of new varieties is named and released every year.
His Talking Roses email newsletter reaches more than 13 000 interested people and provides information on rose growing, with descriptions and photographs. The “mother” nursery, north of Pretoria, is a spectacle of more than 1 000 roses in full bloom. Outlets have also opened up in Johannesburg and in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, as well as near Stellenbosch in the Cape winelands.
A trip to the nursery where roses are on sale to the public will leave you enthused. The Spiced Coffee Restaurant is open every day except Christmas Day from Monday to Friday 08h30 to 17h00, and Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 09h00 to 17h00. Here you can enjoy breakfasts, light lunches and tea and cake. You can also shop for gifts in the boutique, thorns ’n things, which is dedicated to celebrating the beauty of the rose. There’s also a butterfly garden enclosed in a greenhouse on the farm where visitors can walk among these colourful creatures.
Taschner, always willing to share his knowledge and passion for roses, offers talks and hosts annual events. These include summer, winter and finger-pruning demonstrations and soil and planting workshops.
Directions
Directions: Take the N1 Polokwane highway going north. Turn off at the Wallmanstahl/Pyramid off-ramp, No 163. Turn right over the highway, when you reach the gravel road take the first right and follow the road to Ludwig’s.