The plant world misplaced considered one of its most educated and passionate members on Oct. 18, 2012 with the demise of Harlan Hamernik, founding father of Bluebird Nursery in Clarkson, Neb.

Hamernik, 76, died following an explosion and fireplace at his residence in Clarkson. The reason for the explosion is being in investigated, however authorities have dominated out foul play and imagine it was unintended.

Hamernik’s Life And Legacy

Hamernik and his spouse, Shirley, based Bluebird Nursery in 1958. The nursery now has three places in Clarkson, rising greater than 2,000 kinds of perennials, herbs, grasses and wildflowers. The Hamerniks’ three sons, Tom, Chuck and Mike now run the nursery.

Whereas Hamernik was thought of one of the crucial educated plantsmen within the enterprise, his ardour to be taught extra by no means waned. He went on exploration journeys to China, Interior Mongolia and Tibet, trying to find new crops to deliver again, introducing a lot of them to American gardeners by Bluebird Nursery. He was additionally a proponent of crops native to the U.S, and was at all times thinking about studying extra about their makes use of – each within the panorama and in any other case. In only one instance, cited by fellow plantsman Allen Bush, Hamernik took an interest within the antioxidant properties of Aronia melanocarpa, the native black chokecherry. He started rising them for the berries as sustainable row crops lengthy earlier than anybody else within the U.S.

Though he stepped away from working Bluebird Nursery in 2007, Hamernik was not retired. His curiosity in hardy timber and shrubs led him to open one other enterprise, H.H. Wild Plums. He grew native nut timber corresponding to oak, hickory, hazelnut, butternut and wild berries corresponding to persimmon and naturally, the chokecherry.

The Business Reacts

Hamernik’s contributions to the horticulture business have been many. Allan Armitage, professor emeritus of the College of Georgia, says, “As a younger professor, many individuals advised me about this man Harlan and the way distinctive he and his nursery have been. Then I met the person and realized that the phrase distinctive didn’t even start to explain his skills, his charisma and his work. He was one of many inspirational leaders of this business, and he definitely impressed me. He can be missed.”

Terra Nova Nurseries’ President Dan Heims additionally remembers being impressed by the late plantsman saying,

“I as soon as coined a phrase: Chlorophylluminati. It refers back to the illuminated ones in horticulture. Harlan was considered one of this cabal. Humble as he was, he’d most likely give me flack for making that assertion, however he was a gem of the business. I’d see him on the Perennial Plant Affiliation occasions, at all times brimming with information of a brand new plant that he had introduced again from considered one of his many jaunts within the wild. His demeanor was infectious. ‘Take a look at the scale of the flower on this geranium!,’ he’d tout. Certainly it was the biggest I had ever seen, and the thrill went by the group like scorching gossip. He cherished, his metropolis, his state. He sought crops that have been “Nebraska Hardy” and did a service to gardeners in all Northern climes who had little to select from the choices of the day. I do know the Denver Botanic Backyard had lots of of Harlan’s treasures in its beds.

“I had a talking gig in Nebraska, and made a degree to go to Harlan. I used to be amazed to see that the catalog choices have been solely a fraction of the huge assortment of crops in his greenhouses. I used to be additionally impressed with the innovations that he pieced collectively to make the nursery work. He was not afraid to speak in regards to the failures as nicely, an indication of a assured particular person. I cherished swapping tales of our jaunts and poking by the gathering of exotica. I at all times thought that his title, Mayor, was honorary, till we walked to his favourite café and sat at his desk. It appeared like each soul on the town knew and revered him. In my religion, we are saying that an individual lives on within the acts of goodness he brought about. For Harlan, this can be an extended, very long time. Relaxation in peace.”

Hamernik’s Awards And Recognitions

Regardless of his many travels to unique places, Hamernik cherished his native state of Nebraska and was thinking about its ecology and crops. He and his sons have been long-time members of the Clarkson Volunteer Hearth Division, and he served for a time as mayor and on the village board of administrators.

Hamernik acquired quite a few nationwide awards, together with: The Award of Advantage from the Perennial Plant Affiliation, Delegation to Tibet & R.O.C. Departments of Forestry, Fellow of Worldwide Plant Propagator’s Society, Delegation to Interior Mongolia, visitor of R.O.C., Honorary Missouri Grasp Gardener, Nebraska Small Enterprise Individual of the Yr, Entrepreneur of the Yr Award, Honor Award from the Nationwide Soil & Water Conservation Society, College of Nebraska Horticulture Delegation to China, INLA Affiliation Advantage Award, Particular person Accomplice Award from Plant Choose and plenty of extra. In 2012, Hamernik acquired the Particular person Accomplice Award from Plant Choose and the John C. Fremont Pathfinder Award.

He has additionally acquired the Distinguished Nurseryman Award, Honorary Member Award and Excellent NCN of the Yr Award from the NNLA.

The listing of horticultural organizations that benefitted from Hamernik’s time and experience is lengthy, and consists of: BPI, Perennial Plant Affiliation, American Nursery and Panorama Affiliation, Western Nursery and Panorama Affiliation, MNLA, INLA, South and North Dakota Affiliation of Nurseryman, CNLA, Decrease Elkhorn Pure Useful resource District, Hardy Plant Society, American Penstemon Society, American Rock Backyard Society, Worldwide Plant Propagator’s Society, Wholesale Nursery Growers of America, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Advisory Board and Nebraska Advisory Council for Nebraska.