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December 2008
Greetings from KOLZ Begonia Research Center,
As the end of 2008 approaches, I thought I’d send you one of those informational letters, like you get from family and friends at this time, to keep you apprised of my activities and plans. Since this is my first letter, I’ll recap, bring you up to date and then into the future.
I started to receive research materials from Carrie Karegeannes in the spring of 2002. She had moved on from her long time position as the Nomenclature director for the American Begonia Society and had decided to send me her life’s work for continued use and safe keeping. Marge Lee passed away in 2004 and her family gave me her plant items. During a visit with Rudolf (Rudy) Ziesenhenne, I was telling him of the wealth of materials that Carrie sent me and he said they’d need a semi-truck to move all his materials out. He took me to his upstairs office and showed me 2 floor-to-ceiling bookcases full of notebooks; he told me that I might as well get started! All these materials cried out to be used, they needed to be shared, these lifetimes of work needed to continue to live and grow.
I opened the KOLZ Begonia Research Center (Carrie Karegeannes; Thelma O’Reilly; Michael Ludwig, Marge Lee; Rudolf Ziesenhenne) to the Margaret Lee Branch of the American Begonia Society on January 28, 2006 and the Mabel Corwin Branch board met here in the afternoon and I haven’t looked back. Marge Lee meetings have continued to meet here and enjoyed the access to the vast wealth of information, so much so they made a donation to KOLZ. I continued to make trips to Santa Barbara to receive materials from Rudy’s estate thanks to his sons, Rudolf H. (Skee) and Fred, who continued to pass on his life’s work to me. I created a home for these materials. Thelma has continued to pass on materials as she weeds through her research. Other members have passed on their research and work. The depth and breath of the collection continues to grow.
September 2007 in a late night seminar at the American Begonia Society’s convention, I introduced and showed the KOLZ Begonia Research Center to the ABS. Members of the Santa Clara Valley and Joan Coulat–Sacramento Branches took what they had seen back to their memberships and both sent donations to continue the work of KOLZ. Since opening, I’ve shared my passion, experiences and the informational wealth of KOLZ in presentations to the Master Gardeners of San Diego, Exotic Plant Society, Mabel Corwin and Westchester Branches.
I have furthered the mission of KOLZ with the donations from the Margaret Lee, Santa Clara Valley and Joan Coulat-Sacramento Branches of the American Begonia Society and their members. Judith M. Taylor, M.D., author of Tangible Memories, came from San Francisco to do research on Begonia hybridizers for an upcoming article in Pacific Horticulture and book on hybridizing and sent a donation after returning home. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Rudolf H. and Virginia Ziesenhenne, who have continued to pass on his fathers’ research materials AND made a sizable donation for its preservation. These donations have been used to purchase a digital projector for presentations on
Begonias and KOLZ, cases to house the materials, and a website, www.kolzbegonia.com, which is still in its infancy but will be used to share knowledge and resources. Visit the web site for added details and photos.
The future is full of growth with my time the only limiting factor. I’m currently working to update and expand the website. The current list of articles and website links will have additions and pages containing views of the KOLZ Begonia Research Center will be added. The continued cataloging will lead to pages with inventory lists of articles, books, CD/DVD’s, files, herbarium specimens, slides and other resources. The cataloging allows me to identify duplicates and sell them to obtain new materials or carry out objectives to benefit the collection. After learning proper techniques, Rudy’s pressed specimens will be mounted, placed in protective folders and cataloged.
Plant growth needs nutrients to remain healthy, and our mind uses knowledge to stay healthy and grow. Have you ever noticed how mentally and physically active gardeners and especially begonia growers remain late into a long life? Begoniacs thrive on sharing friendship, knowledge, and plants. I plan to encourage this by holding Begonia fests, a day filled with friendship, seminars, and plant sale/exchange. Holding these at KOLZ will allow attendees access to its resources but to share this information more fully, I’ll travel out to conduct them too. Sharing information will deepen our knowledge of begonias leading to new discoveries and insights. Begonia fests will help finance activities, acquisitions and supplies.
I extend an invitation to visit KOLZ Begonia Research Center when you’re in San Diego. Come see the history and wealth of knowledge housed here, spend some time and make use of the materials for study and research or just stop by for a tour, glass of champagne and friendship. It’s been a fantastic journey for me since I first joined the American Begonia Society in 1976, full of fascinating, knowledgeable and wise people; sadly many of them have now passed but not before influencing my life. I’m always looking to complete items that are valuable resources or new material, be it articles, books, memorabilia, newsletter sets, or web sites and other internet resources. So if you come across anything let me know. We’ll be richer for it. Help me keep this collection growing and vibrant. Help me keep these passions, these lifetimes of work, alive!
KOLZ Begonia Research Center begs you to visit, use and share with others.
Thank you for taking time to read this letter. I hope you’ve learned what I’m doing and what you’ve helped me do. We are preserving the work of great begonia lovers and researchers; Carrie Karegeannes, Thelma O’Reilly, Rudolf Ziesenhenne and others; using it to promote begonias and other shade loving plants and educating and impassioning the next generation of Begoniacs.
In friendly contact,
Michael Ludwig
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KOLZ BEGONIA RESEARCH CENTER
webmaster: Michael Ludwig - © all rights reserved-2009
Greetings from KOLZ Begonia Research Center,
As the end of 2008 approaches, I thought I’d send you one of those informational letters, like you get from family and friends at this time, to keep you apprised of my activities and plans. Since this is my first letter, I’ll recap, bring you up to date and then into the future.
I started to receive research materials from Carrie Karegeannes in the spring of 2002. She had moved on from her long time position as the Nomenclature director for the American Begonia Society and had decided to send me her life’s work for continued use and safe keeping. Marge Lee passed away in 2004 and her family gave me her plant items. During a visit with Rudolf (Rudy) Ziesenhenne, I was telling him of the wealth of materials that Carrie sent me and he said they’d need a semi-truck to move all his materials out. He took me to his upstairs office and showed me 2 floor-to-ceiling bookcases full of notebooks; he told me that I might as well get started! All these materials cried out to be used, they needed to be shared, these lifetimes of work needed to continue to live and grow.
I opened the KOLZ Begonia Research Center (Carrie Karegeannes; Thelma O’Reilly; Michael Ludwig, Marge Lee; Rudolf Ziesenhenne) to the Margaret Lee Branch of the American Begonia Society on January 28, 2006 and the Mabel Corwin Branch board met here in the afternoon and I haven’t looked back. Marge Lee meetings have continued to meet here and enjoyed the access to the vast wealth of information, so much so they made a donation to KOLZ. I continued to make trips to Santa Barbara to receive materials from Rudy’s estate thanks to his sons, Rudolf H. (Skee) and Fred, who continued to pass on his life’s work to me. I created a home for these materials. Thelma has continued to pass on materials as she weeds through her research. Other members have passed on their research and work. The depth and breath of the collection continues to grow.
September 2007 in a late night seminar at the American Begonia Society’s convention, I introduced and showed the KOLZ Begonia Research Center to the ABS. Members of the Santa Clara Valley and Joan Coulat–Sacramento Branches took what they had seen back to their memberships and both sent donations to continue the work of KOLZ. Since opening, I’ve shared my passion, experiences and the informational wealth of KOLZ in presentations to the Master Gardeners of San Diego, Exotic Plant Society, Mabel Corwin and Westchester Branches.
I have furthered the mission of KOLZ with the donations from the Margaret Lee, Santa Clara Valley and Joan Coulat-Sacramento Branches of the American Begonia Society and their members. Judith M. Taylor, M.D., author of Tangible Memories, came from San Francisco to do research on Begonia hybridizers for an upcoming article in Pacific Horticulture and book on hybridizing and sent a donation after returning home. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Rudolf H. and Virginia Ziesenhenne, who have continued to pass on his fathers’ research materials AND made a sizable donation for its preservation. These donations have been used to purchase a digital projector for presentations on Begonias and KOLZ, cases to house the materials, and a website, www.kolzbegonia.com, which is still in its infancy but will be used to share knowledge and resources. Visit the web site for added details and photos.
The future is full of growth with my time the only limiting factor. I’m currently working to update and expand the website. The current list of articles and website links will have additions and pages containing views of the KOLZ Begonia Research Center will be added. The continued cataloging will lead to pages with inventory lists of articles, books, CD/DVD’s, files, herbarium specimens, slides and other resources. The cataloging allows me to identify duplicates and sell them to obtain new materials or carry out objectives to benefit the collection. After learning proper techniques, Rudy’s pressed specimens will be mounted, placed in protective folders and cataloged.
Plant growth needs nutrients to remain healthy, and our mind uses knowledge to stay healthy and grow. Have you ever noticed how mentally and physically active gardeners and especially begonia growers remain late into a long life? Begoniacs thrive on sharing friendship, knowledge, and plants. I plan to encourage this by holding Begonia fests, a day filled with friendship, seminars, and plant sale/exchange. Holding these at KOLZ will allow attendees access to its resources but to share this information more fully, I’ll travel out to conduct them too. Sharing information will deepen our knowledge of begonias leading to new discoveries and insights. Begonia fests will help finance activities, acquisitions and supplies.
I extend an invitation to visit KOLZ Begonia Research Center when you’re in San Diego. Come see the history and wealth of knowledge housed here, spend some time and make use of the materials for study and research or just stop by for a tour, glass of champagne and friendship. It’s been a fantastic journey for me since I first joined the American Begonia Society in 1976, full of fascinating, knowledgeable and wise people; sadly many of them have now passed but not before influencing my life. I’m always looking to complete items that are valuable resources or new material, be it articles, books, memorabilia, newsletter sets, or web sites and other internet resources. So if you come across anything let me know. We’ll be richer for it. Help me keep this collection growing and vibrant. Help me keep these passions, these lifetimes of work, alive! KOLZ Begonia Research Center begs you to visit, use and share with others.
Thank you for taking time to read this letter. I hope you’ve learned what I’m doing and what you’ve helped me do. We are preserving the work of great begonia lovers and researchers; Carrie Karegeannes, Thelma O’Reilly, Rudolf Ziesenhenne and others; using it to promote begonias and other shade loving plants and educating and impassioning the next generation of Begoniacs.
In friendly contact,
Michael Ludwig