City Letters
Author: Reporter Liu Yun Editor Li Shili
Chen Hao, the "flower elder", celebrated his 96th birthday in Hangzhou Flower Garden on November 25.
Today, Hangzhou Flower Garden held a birthday party for an old man, who is 96 years old, named Chen Hao, known as "Flower Elder".
Called "flower old", naturally related to flowers, and once you hear it, you know that the generations are not low.
By the West Lake, the Hangzhou flower garden we often visit is the "flower old" who looks at the little bit of construction; in hangzhou, the streets and alleys are full of flowers and plants, many of which he introduced. It can be said that our city, which is more and more like a garden, is the original "gardener".
Around 1950, there were only 131 species of flowers in Hangzhou
He went around in a car and a train to buy flowers. By 1959, the number of flower varieties reached 1982
Chen Hao, born on November 25, 1922, graduated from the Department of Horticulture of the College of Agriculture of Zhejiang University in May 1949, and went to work in the Pine Farm Flower Garden (the predecessor of the Hangzhou Flower Garden) in June. Chen Hao said that at that time, hangzhou, the only drawback was that there were too few flowers.
Chen Hao and his classmates took a group photo at the entrance of Lan yuan.
"Tomorrow, there are foreign guests who want to come to the meeting, the task is sent down, and there will be some flowers and plants in the venue, and the existing flowers and plants will not be able to get their hands on it." What to do? Ming'er has a meeting and goes to buy it today. Chen Hao took a 4-hour train and ran a trip to Shanghai.
Later, because he ran more often, the station manager and waiter on the train knew that he bought flowers and planted flowers.
Now, living in Hangzhou, we may not imagine that Hangzhou even has a lack of flowers? In fact, around 1950, there were only 131 kinds of flowers in Hangzhou.
Hangzhou flower garden construction site, late 1950s and early 1960s.
Hangzhou Flower Garden Orchid District, late 1950s and early 1960s.
Hangzhou Flower Garden Bonsai Scenic Area, late 1950s and early 1960s.
At that time, Hangzhou specially allocated special funds to introduce good flowers, and the task fell to Chen Hao. Every year for at least a month he would run out of town to look for flowers. Where there are many flowers, go where you want, and bring back what looks good.
Run to Yunnan, a look at the camellia is too good-looking, a buy 300 cylinders, rely on the car to pull back, the freight cost 20,000 yuan.
Peony, bought by running to Heze, Shandong, brought back to Hangzhou to plant, and then ran to Heze to invite teacher Fu to come and help.
Cuckoo, collected from Shaoxing and Wuxi, was privately raised at that time, and he went to talk about it in one pot and collected more than 1,000 pots.
Orchids, now the "top card" of Hangzhou Flower Garden, but at that time Hangzhou was very rare, I heard that someone wanted to sell, 3 yuan a pot, bought 100 pots. Later Orchid Garden, these 100 pots of orchids are the "elders".
The lotus flowers in the West Lake, the base is black, like iron, formerly called "iron shell lotus". Chen Hao said that the name was too earthy, so he changed it to "West Lake Red Lotus".
Not only flowers, but also plants, Chen Hao said, as long as you rejoice, they will also bring back.
In 1951, in Shanghai, Cedar and feather maples were rarely seen in Hangzhou, so they were bought back and planted in the Huagang Guanyu Park. At that time, a feather maple tree, 400 yuan. In 1951, a bag of rice was only 8 yuan.
I went to Wuhan and saw the Metasequoia trees that people couldn't hug, so I asked for seeds to bring back to Hangzhou. Now, the Metasequoia forest of Quyuan Fenghe was planted at that time.
Went to Guilin, wow, a lot of osmanthus forest. There are many osmanthus flowers in Hangzhou, all of which are cut and inoculated one by one, which is very laborious. Guilin is sown, and as soon as the seeds are sown, they slowly grow. Hurry to learn back, in the promotion period after the osmanthus as a "city flower", helped a lot.
Slowly, more and more flowers in Hangzhou, by 1959, the number of flower varieties in Hangzhou had reached 1982!
The first director of Hangzhou Flower Garden
He watched the flowerbed build up little by little
In 1958, the Hangzhou Flower Garden was expanded. Chen Hao is the first director of Hangzhou Flower Garden.
The planning of the flower garden was done for a long time, and finally positioned as "the first flower classification park in the country". In the big park, there are many small gardens such as "Meilan Bamboo Chrysanthemum Area", "Rose Moon Season Area", "Bonsai Area", "Greenhouse Flower Area", "Aquatic Flower Area", "Open Grass Flower Area", "Fragrant Flower Area", etc., each garden has its own taste.
After the park was built, it became a hit.
Chen Hao in the Bonsai Room, April 9, 1961.
By 1965, there were more than 3,000 kinds of flowers in the Hangzhou Flower Garden. Orchid exhibition, chrysanthemum exhibition, rhododendron exhibition, camellia exhibition... At that time, Chen Hao said, there were at least six or seven flower exhibitions a year, "everyone likes to see." ”
Chairman Zhu De admired orchids in the flower garden in Hangzhou.
Chairman Ye Jianying admired the "green clouds" of orchids at the Hangzhou Flower Garden.
The Hangzhou Flower Garden has been successfully built, and garden peers have come to learn. Chen Hao said that at the Hangzhou Hotel, the experience meeting did not know how many sessions. He spoke over and over again to his peers at home and abroad.
Later, Hangzhou also decided that beautiful flowers can not only stay in the flower garden, but also flower shops. In the 1950s, Yan'an Road, Hubin Park and Zhaohui opened three "Hangzhou Flower Shops". It can be regarded as the "originator" of the florist.
Chen Hao said that the florist business is good, oh, night incense, wax plums, daffodils... Hangzhou people like to move to the home.
96-year-old "flower old"
Now walk around west lake every day
Today, Chen Hao is exactly 96 years old, he looks at the Hangzhou flower garden built and is exactly 60 years old, and he has worked for the flowers and grass in Hangzhou for 69 years.
Sun Xiong, director of the Lingyin Management Office, said that Chen Hao is the "elder" of the Hangzhou flower garden and the "living dictionary" of the Hangzhou garden industry, "So many years have passed, and he told the story of Hangzhou's garden as if it had just happened yesterday." ”
Although Chen Hao retired in 1989, he still circles around the West Lake every day to see the flowers and plants he got that year.
Sometimes, su causeway walks back and forth. Sometimes, take the bus, Yue Temple get off, "Oh, the big camphor at the door I planted." "Slowly and leisurely swing to Guozhuang, look at the orchids, look at the Metasequoia, and then swing out of the Hangzhou flower garden, this circle, a few kilometers away."
96 years old, the spirit head is still so good, Chen Hao said, "Look at the flowers, walk and walk, the mood is good, the body hair is good!" ”
"Flower old man", thank you for dressing up in Hangzhou, I wish you a happy birthday and good health.
Correspondent Pan Gaosheng
(Photo courtesy of Lingyin Management Office)