by germinatrix | April 2nd, 2009
I PROMISED YOU ALOES, AND ALOES YOU’LL GET!!!
Passi
I am SO THRILLED to be blogging again! This has been a long break, and changes in the garden don’t stop just because a giant of the publishing industry wusses out and folds a majorly popular shelter magazine! And doesn’t even consider doing the smart thing, which would’ve been to go COMPLETELY ONLINE! We are the future of publishing, afterall… Well, no matter – I am ecstatic to be off on my own! And the biggest thing that has happened in my garden since we last chatted is the glorious blooming of my precious monster Aloe Marlothii, Willard
Willard
For those of you who read my blog over at dominomag.com, you might remember that every year I would wait for it to bloom, and nothing would happen. And then I’d get all whiny about it. But this year made up for all my bitching and moaning!
Not only did Willard send up an awesome mother of a bloomspike, but every aloe in my garden has blossomed (with the exception of the ones that bloom in the summer). There is even an aloe that I forgot I had, that I never would have found if it hadn’t been for its two fuzzy yellow candles singeing my eyes. I don’t know what variety this is, so if anyone has an idea, shout it out … and I’ll keep on trying to find out on my end.
blossomed
Here’s a close up of the blossom to help you on your quest:
fuzzy
I am not the only one who is in love with my aloes – hummingbirds have been feasting! (forgive the fuzzy photo, but you know how flitty these things can be – I was so nervous I’d scare it away that my hands were quivering uncontrollably)
humming bird
I don’t know why this year was such an amazing one for aloes – I have never had so many blooming at one time. December was fairly mild, followed by a cool January, a rainy February, and then back to mild again in March. It could be that they ended up getting more hydration than they have in past years in my garden – hmmmmmmm.
OR, it could be that my garden new I was kicking off my very own version of The Germinatrix, so I just kicked it up a notch! Yes, I think that has to be it – my garden can be SUCH the DIVA!!!
Work it, GIRLFRIEND!
(can you tell how excited I am? I think I broke a record for entire word capitalization!)
Hello to you and Willard too! I’ve been checking this link every week or so to see if you were up and running. Congrats! Happy blogwarming!
P.S. Your RSS feed link does not work…there should be a link that ends in .xml somewhere.
Susa! My dear Vice President!
We still have some kinks to work out – but I’m on it … by next week it will be a hotrod!
I feel SO at home!!!
XO to you, dear one!
How could I start off the blog without Willard – in his total shining glory! He is going to be the Supermodel of the garden this year… it’ll be hard not to take pictures of him everyday!
My baby blog already feels warm – thanks for help kicking it off! and thanks so much for checking back on me – I know it took a while. When I don’t have you keeping me in line, I go all wonky!
I LOVE the new website! I totally thought of you and Willard because my thought-to-be-dead ghost plants sent up little blooms
I, too, wondered why Domino just didn’t go completely online. Maybe they can get their stuff together and just publish online again…that would be much better than the alternative. I miss it.
I am having a problem with aphids. How do I keep them off my deck and most important off my house plants. They bite and I’m very allergic to those types of insects and things of that nature. Do you tell me what I can do. I have a service dog and they get on her and spiders and stuff of that nature and bring them in the house, but the aphids you just can not seem to kill and boy can they jump and get away before you can get them or they get in your hair and then clothes. I’m so impressed with your natural ways on the Bonnie Hunt show I was sure you would be able to help me.
With Sincere thanks,
Angel apljax@hotmail.com
Sha-zam! What a technicolor Christmas tree of a bloom spike that is! And how cool that you caught an image of that hummingbird coming in for a drink. Well done.
I saw you on Bonnie Hunt today 4/3/9 and you put human hair in and around the plants to chase rodents and others. Do I have to pick it up in the morning or do I leave it there.
Well, Joe – I’ve left it there, and over time it just decomposes and becomes part of your soil! In fact, some people add hair to their compost piles – some studies shows it increases nutrient content. But many people like to keep their compost vegan, so if that is the case, human hair would be a no-no.
Thanks for commenting! Keep stopping by!
Pam, I couldn’t BELIEVE I got that hummingbird! There is another amazing bird that has been visiting my garden lately, it is color-coordinate with my Aloe marlothii, and he loves to sit on the bloomspike and preen – but whenever I get my camera and get lose, off he goes. This has happened 4 times now! I MUST get this on film! Wish me luck…
xoxo
Welcome back! I have been checking the URL waiting for your return, so I’m excited to start learning again! YAY!
The style of writing is very familiar . Did you write guest posts for other bloggers?
FANTASTIC!
Hi Kelly! It felt like So LONG to be away from blogland … I am excited to get back to the serious business of getting people excited about gardening their hearts out! So are so sweet to have been checking on me. I’m so glad to be back!
exback – very intriguing moniker, by the way! I haven’t guest blogged, but I AM planning on doing post on Amanda Thomsen’s fabulous Kiss My Aster, which she does for Horticulture magazine. Check her stuff out at
http://www.hortmag.com/kissmyaster/
You might have read some of my old garden blogging that I did for Dominomag.com, either on that site or on Yahoo Shine … you know, these blog entries get around whether you know it or not! Thanks for stopping by…
Uphows – HAPPY you like it!!!! Thanks for the good word!
I’m so happy your back! I’ve been checking for the new site with great anticipation. Looking forward to lots of gardening fun and adventure.