Comments on: Los Angeles Garden Show – SUCKY!!!

By: Adriana @ Anarchy in the Garden

Adriana @ Anarchy in the Garden — Sun, 16 May 2010 05:42:57 +0000

Wow. I was a mere volunteer hoping to be inspired – fresh off the fab SF garden show. Sadly I was not inspired, by the gardens or the lectures. C’mon LA?!

The highlight of the day was seeing you and meeting one of my readers. I can’t wait for next years SF garden show!

By: germinatrix

germinatrix — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:27:47 +0000

STEVE!!!
There is a fury in you … but I get it!
Yes, the blogosphere luvs anything sucky, but we are also super cheerleaders of great design – like I said… i would have LOVED to love it. Of course, since I DIDN’T, I wouldn’t have wanted to put names to the gardens. I didn’t even want to know WHO did WHAT, because I doubted how on point I could be if I knew I was talking about friends and colleagues. But they know me! I’m okay with being a target!
By the way, I did read Debra Prinzing’s article (you should check out the Garden Designer’s Roundtable on Facebook – one of my friends posted her article in a thread under this post, so that everyone reading could get 2 different views). Obviously, I didn’t agree with her, but it’s awesome that she stands behind her favorite designers! I have a different agenda, and it isn’t to be a mean bitchy garden smasher. It’s to call it as I see it, and I did!

Hope to see you around – I’m out of the country for a while, but PLEASE keep me informed about your meetings, and I might show up, and maybe we’ll WRESTLE!!!

By: Steven Gerischer

Steven Gerischer — Tue, 11 May 2010 01:12:37 +0000

Last gasp here. Sorry Ivette, must add another two cents-just had a pocket FULL of pennies. Apologies to Susi Torre-Bueno and the San Diego Hort for the hyperbole about their membership-it just seems like thousands when SO many people come together to celebrate gardening. On any given day it costs $8 for non-members to get into the Arboretum-on show day it cost non-members $8 to get into the Arboretum. Why not become a MEMBER! The sucky, barfy show is only there messing things up for 3 days out of about 360. Anyone interested in a slightly altered view (different photo style) check out Debra Prinzig/Los Angeles in Bloom/Garden Design. Is she a cheerleader for the show-oh yeah. Does she hide things? Oh Yeah (although Libby’s unfortunate burlap covers are right there in the photo, not hidden) Another point there-her name is Libby. I think I also got pissed off being a ‘they’ or ‘them’ in your orig. report. Our designs may suck, but we as people deserve a tiny bit of respect-like first names. Just the way I was taught-a bit out of date perhaps. The Nancy Goslee-Power garden was part of the ‘presented designers’ along with Jeff Moore of Solana Succulents who helped Tim Phillips and co. install the ‘UnderSea Garden’-has it been done before? Yeah-but it still rocks. Sorry Juliana Roosevelt & Kevin Mack garden was netted off against those pretty, pretty turkeys in showgirl outfits (peacocks). Their garden was the best there this year-and funny thing is at the 2009 show they had a respectable install-with a few mistakes and showing hemlines and buckets-but they were invited back and they did a really nice job using lessons from mistakes made before. Imagine that! (only my humble opinion-it would ruin the whole over-all failing report to give them a nod I know). So the previous suggestion-pages back and days ago about ‘not inviting them back’-Really? I think I now understand the Blog-o-shere. All the reports of the show that were not critical got no comments-and I’m here commenting for the umteenth time. Is ‘sucky/barfy’ a regitered/trade marked thing? I kinda want to use it on my buisness cards. Now I think I’ll check out vanessa-everythinggardens as I think this must be that intriguing storefront in Atwater? I can never seem to get there when it’s open. And about the heat in the kitchen-I can take it-even from blast ovens and flame throwers. I bake really good choc. chip cookies and put out real coffee for the Hort. Meeting-this Thursday at Friendship Hall at 7:30-just south of the big fountain at Riverside and Los Feliz-absolutely NO gardens-just Bob Hornbeck talking about Lewis Carrol’s plant imagery in ‘Alice’.
Cool plnat nerds gathering-and me of course-’Sucky/Barfy’ Designer and blowhard-and card carrying ‘Roberto Burle-Marx-ist’
Steve

By: germinatrix

germinatrix — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:05:12 +0000

HAHAHAHA!!!
Yes, Jenn – you will have a little palate cleanser toot sweet!!!
Your wish is MY COMMAND!!!!
XO!

By: Jenn

Jenn — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:36:06 +0000

Okay, enough dwelling on this. Can we have a palate cleanser, Ivette? Just a photo will do!

By: germinatrix

germinatrix — Mon, 10 May 2010 19:01:23 +0000

Hey Steve – Not ignoring the Nancy Power garden, but it wasn’t a “display garden” – it was a re-doing of the Ayres Hall garden, right? I think the displays are the issue, because they are a theatrical representation of what a garden “could be” or “should be” – whereas the NP garden was an actual in-ground planting. And I can’t say I love it, but it needs time to grow in and become something – wheare the display gardens are an entirely different being – they need to hit the ground running, and be awesome for the three days of the show. I LOVE display gardens – did you see the video I did for the San Francisco garden show? The spirit of display gardens are so amazing when done well, because they truly create another world… it is this expectation that many people go to garden shows with, to see other worlds! And even when I may not like something personally, (there was a garden I really didn’t like in SF) if the garden is well done, it sings and other people rally around it. That is super cool.
You have been awesome in engaging in this conversation, Steve, more power to you! Thank you for having the spirit to step up and give it!!! You are an asset to the LA Garden Show, and toany other organization that is lucky enough to have you as a member – what heart!!!

Vanessa – I wish I could have gone to Venice this year! Isn’t it AMAZING? That Jay Griffith – he’s the man! What an inspiration … If the Arboretum had a curatorial force like him on board – just IMAGINE!!!

Shellene – sorry if you thought I was mean. Just calling it like I see it. I think we are all adults, and can take criticism. If these gardens were really good, and I was calling out things to just be bitchy, that would be one thing. It seems “mean” because these gardens are so weak and defenseless. If the work was awesome, then my critique wouldn’t stick. Maybe it IS unfair to call out these gardens as poor – but they are out in a public venue where people are paying money to come and be inspired by professional work. These designers know that. It’s all part of the system – nobody becomes a better designer by everyone telling them that their questionable work is “good”. That’s just my point of view! Thanks for visiting and commenting!!!

ESP!!!!
The Party In The Patch!!!
WHOO-HOO!!!
(And let Leah know that I can’t WAIT for the dirty libation – I’ll leave it to her to decide the level of dirtiness, but I AM a gardener, and a Germinatirx! Nothing is TOO dirty!!!)
I am SOOOO looking forward to it!!!

And yes, the Naboo are very desperately needed over here – they are the only ones who can negotiate a proper treaty between designers and show coordinators. The Naboo KNOW how important proper siting is to the success of a garden – they would NEVER allow the coordinators to give everyone a square of scorching lawn and say – GO! Make a DREAM GARDEN! The Naboo also have their ways of bending people to their will. They would make the show work. If they left Austin after my visit, they might arrive in Los Angeles just in time for the next garden show, where they should make a powerful stand.
All Hail The Naboo!
It is going to be SO GREAT to meet you and your family!!!

By: KIM BAROFSKY

KIM BAROFSKY — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:50:54 +0000

IT WAS REALLY BAD BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A REALLY GREAT CLUB I SUGGEST YOU COME TO THE LOS ANGELES CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY’S DROUGHT RESISTANT PLANT FESTIVAL JUNE 12TH AND 13TH AT THE SEPULVEDA GARDENS 16633 MAGNOLIA BLVD ENCINO CA. THERE WILL BE
•A series of workshops and Guest speakers on topics that include the following:
A presentation from the Theodore Payne Foundation on California Native Plants- Lili Singer
Landscaping with Drought Resistant Plants-Matt Maggio
Propagation, Fertilizer and pest control-Tim Harvey
Container garden-Sandy Chase
How to Take Care of Cacti and Succulents- Artie Chavez
Irrigation for a Drought Tolerant Garden-Peter Walkozia
Aloes for the Garden- Duke Benandom
Gardening with bromeliad plants- The Bromeliad Society

•Landscape exhibits that show the various types of plants that might be used in a typical drought resistant garden and how they could be arranged – the exhibits will incorporate boulders, rocks, drift wood, and other materials to enhance the gardens appearance.
• Display gardens planned:
 Silver and blue garden
 General cacti and succulents
 Pet and child friendly garden
 Exotic succulent garden
 Bromeliad garden
 Patio and Container gardeN

• Vendors will be selling the plants employed in the exhibits found at the festival
FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK THE WEBSITE http://www.lacss.com or you can call 818 367 0864

By: ESP

ESP — Mon, 10 May 2010 05:23:29 +0000

OMG! G.

I am laughing and installation wincing at the same time…..the comments, the rebuttals, the questions, the denials, the excuses, the reasons why?…This post wants to make me become a “Hortilawer”, (and I would be a kick-ass one… not!) I want to understand what really went wrong, by whom, and why? How did it go wrong? Why? Should the the Naboo get involved in the political hearings? They are so good at negotiating city-level affairs as you know!…LA NEEDS to be a rival to SF right? I think they could be the small solution the city is looking for?

Oh and just for the record to a comment, I believe a cool garden does not need to be really expensive at all, it just requires a well designed and well thought out plan (especially if it is a temporary scheme) that utilizes whatever you can steal from the surrounding vicinity, including views and the adjacent installation’s hardscaping and rocks…wait? Did I just say that out loud?

Great comments, and a great read as always G.

Can’t wait to meet you in person in the Patch. Now, how dirty do you like your libation?

Leah was wondering.

Keep stirring…

ESP.

By: Shellene

Shellene — Mon, 10 May 2010 03:17:24 +0000

O.K I know the garden designers need some more experience with design and how to pull together a show (which is an art in itself), but wow, harsh words. I would hate to be the designer who had you critic my garden on a public blog. I felt it was quit small to be so harsh to new designers (so you say) trying to get into the field with a tiny budget. I give them kudos for trying. I would of picked a least one thing they did right and expand on that. I believe in constructive criticism, you were just down right mean. I Sorry…some one had to say it!

By: Mary

Mary — Sun, 09 May 2010 20:31:24 +0000

The LA Community Garden Council did a tour of 12 Eastside community gardens last fall. There are approximately 80 gardens around LA County, so we’re planning another one this summer…some garden projects are professionally designed, but most are done organically and collaboratively. You’ll find lots of inspiration there and most of the time you’ll meet the members and be able to sample their food, too.