sadakichi hartmann--chrysanthemum garden

sadakichi hartmann carried the banner of chrysanthemum-lovers most of his life. some of his writings, saved from the ruins of his cats-claw desert-garden shed by his daughter, make up the sadakichi hartmann collection at uc-riverside. "white chrysanthemums" a book of notes on chrysanthemums, contains a selection of those notes.

some of the notes tell of the soils and waters chrysanthemums have been known to benifit from, others describe the insects and pests injurous to the greens of the plant and in some notes he explains how they are pruned to improve their flowering.

these are mixed in with notes on the history of chrysanthemum growing, its roots in the grey mists of antiquity and references he found to the art in the writings of other gardeners. some notes, more biographical, muse on well known gardeners of chrysanthemums, comparing and contrasting them against those who consider the chrysanthemum a weed to eradicate.

the book includes some of his own memories of staging chrysanthemum light shows, with tips and advice for others who want to do the same suggested between the lines. in several of the chapters are notes in which he tells of his travels around the world looking for other chrysanthemum lovers. his memories of those gardeners who befriended him and less pleasant memories of those who pretended to love chrysanthemums. one mention is made in this selection of a winter he soujourned in canada, no mention of chrysanthemums or chrysanthemum lovers here. a glimpse of the world of the chrysanthemum he lived and promoted to the end.

guide to the sadakichi hartmann papers.