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In Florida, I am lucky to get a variety of hibiscus. Many growers are not as blessed, and acquiring hibiscus flowers for their garden is not just hopping in a car to Home Depot, unless, of course, you want a garden variety. The flowers growing in my enchanted garden would not be here unless special people were not working hard on a daily basis to hybridize blooms keeping us in beautiful gems of many colors. I always wondered what a hybridizer had in mind or what cv he was hoping to get out of a cross. The Queen of the Tropics manages to keep her allure by being mysterious instead of what you see is what you get. You cross two flowers, and you never know what the result will be. You can end up with a flower close to one of the parents, a mix of the parents or something that looks nothing like the originals. When I called Joe Ludick, I asked him what he wanted in a cross. He stated right off the bat that he is looking for a brown one with white spots. He said that no one had got this combination before. So Ludick is fishing for a spotted brown one. Joe Ludick is a retired attorney and former mayor of North Miami, Florida, and has been a member of the American Hibiscus Society since the 1960s. He was president of the Bruce Parnell Chapter located in North Dade, Florida. He named a cv after the city he governed, Miss North Miami. A portrait of this flower hangs in the lobby of City Hall. Ludick became National President of the AmHS in the 1980s. He just finished serving as Chairman of the Charitable Trust for the AHS after 10 years in this position. He has also served on the seedling evaluation committee. His other hobby is fishing - any kind of fishing! Joe and his wife Roberta Ludick were together for over 60 years until her recent passing in October 2001. He is now a member of the Indian River Chapter in Central Florida and currently resides in Port St. Lucie. One of his creations honors that city with the name of City of Port St. Lucie. Currently,
he grows 45 roses and a few hibiscus on a postage-sized lot. But I
have to tell you that over the years Ludick has created more than
170 cvs. Looking at a list of his cvs one sees the parents of many
show winners, and he has been to the top with Herm Geller winning
Hibiscus of the Year in 1988. I asked him to describe a flower of his that I have in my garden named The Beacon. He described the flower as a fuchsia lavender with a white eye. Oh, that sounds nice! I asked him to tell me which was his favorite cv, and he could not come up with one. He did say that Pro Legato is one of the prettiest and best bushes he has ever produced. With close to 200 cvs named, Ludick can find it difficult to find a favorite. Some of his other beautiful flowers are: Anna Elizabeth, Challenger, Butterscotch Sundae, Double Miniskirt, Eye of the Storm, Great White, Joanne Boulin, Lilly Torbet, Mary Louise, Miss Liberty, Mount Shasta, Old Medley, Aunt Charlotte, Old Liberty, Annie Ackerman, Orange Magic, Prima Ballerina, Topaz Glory, Dirty Harry, David Boulin, Magpie, Miss Ballerina, Eva Paloni, Dakota Rose, Ruth Woodruff and Golden Eagle. Ludick recommends 6-6-6 and milorganite every 10 days for hibiscus. He told me to be on the watch out for his newest creation, Dubyu, named after President George W. Bush. This particular flower made quite a stir at the Indian River Show. He even gave me a hint where I can find wood nearby. Off I go to see another Wizard! |
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