by germinatrix | April 2nd, 2009
Hi Everyone!!! I’m BACK!!!
I'm BACK!!!
And I am THRILLED to be blogging again! Sorry it’s taken so long, but you know … life …
So for those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ivette, your Germinatrix, and I blogged on all landscape-related matters for the now defunct Domino magazine. I am a garden designer and consultant working in Los Angeles, CA, and I am a crazy plant maniac. Some people describe my planting style as ‘cramnation’ (meaning I cram in as many plants as I can fit into any given space), but I prefer to think of myself as an exuberant maximalist (yes, that word is overused, but I think it really applies in my case). Since I live in perpetually rain-deprived Southern California, I work with a palette of planting material heavy on drought tolerants and succulents – which are the sexiest plants in horticulture. You might think that tropicals are the sexiest plants around, and they ARE hot – but a tropical is to a succulent what an exotic dancer is to a fashion model.
Like I said in the earlier incarnation of this blog, I truly believe that gardening can change the world, and I want to be a part of that evolution/revolution. My long range plan is world domination via garden design, but just having a lot of fun with plants runs a close second!
For me, gardening is a form of personal expression, and the best gardens have a strong point of view. I love a landscape that reflects the owner’s personality … but frankly, just like there are people with sucky personalities, some gardens are just – well… sucky also. Here at The Germinatrix, we call it like we see it.
Oh – anything and everything written in this blog is my opinion and my opinion alone and does not reflect the thoughts of any other member of any landscape or architectural firm I am now associated with or have been associated with in the past. Just had to get that out of the way, before I get down to the business of serious garden blogging, because you never know WHAT might happen when you start talking about plants and gardens!
rose
Welcome back! Kudos on your kick off!
Posey
Holla!!! You’re back– all is right again in the world of gardening! I hope all’s well in your corner of Eagle Rock. I have been tending to a veggie garden since you went offline. Cheers!
Germi!!!! YAY!!!! I am so glad you are back. I sure did miss you. I have been trying this website for weeks hoping it would be up and now it is! I am so happy to see you again. I hope everything has been well, the hubbie, and the “kids”, the garden, the house, work…everything. I can’t wait to see your upcoming posts. I have been looking around, on my way to work and running errands and stuff, and noticing different houses that are not using grass but more water/California friendly landscaping in their front yards. It makes me smile and think that you would be proud.
For me personally life has been busy, good, and exciting, my new hubby and I are house shopping so I might be moving out of my gardenless apartment building and be able to plant on my own! I will be coming here for ideas and tips and not just an outlet. We also got the cutest chocolate lab puppy, Coco, so we will have to find a way to train her to stay out of my future garden.
XOXOXO
Susie, a.k.a. Intheory
Yeah!! I’ve been checking daily (I’m obsessed, I know). So glad to have you back online. Looking forward to more fantastic posts.
-Karyn
Glad to see you’re back. I was missing you as the weather gets nicer, and my thoughts turn to gardening again.
Huzzah for the germi blog!
Yea! Welcome back, Germi. I can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to. LOVE your header image by the way!
Welcome back Ivette! I can’t wait to see what you cook up in the latest incarnation of The Germintarix!!
Oh, Germi! You were missed. So glad you’re back.
xox
Andrea
PS: Is that “cramnation,” like “damnation?”
PPS: I’m your first commenter. Rad.
Welcome back!
Posey! You were my first comment! Is that appropriate OR WHAT???
Be prepared, Mama – it’s going to be a bumpy flight(in the very best way, of course!)
Chanchow, I can’t WAIT to hear the stories of your successes! I’ve just started putting in my tomatoes and beans and hot weather stuff – but I had little baby lettuces and early girl tomatoes all winter! Even with no sun on my poorly sited veg garden…
We have so much to catch up on! What FUN to hear from you first thing!!!
Thanks for being patient and loyal – what a PAL!
Hi, I HATE being Admin – it’s me, Germi! And I have to write a big epic THANK you to all my friends who’ve found me and have come to visit!
(It’s going to take me a while to learn the ins and outs of worpress, so if I make some inelegant gaffs – forgiveness, okay?)
InTheory! You have a Chocolate Lab! I love those dogs – nothing more beautiful than a big, furry, chocolate bundle of love! And I am so glad you’re house hunting … good time for it! We’ll be coming up with ideas for your garden – FUN! And I’ve been noticing more water-friendly gardens around here, too… Victory! Thanks for patiently checking back – here we go again, friend!xoxo!
Karyn – I am so glad for your obsessiveness, are you kidding! I’ll be posting from a super-cool project in the Yucatan soon – I think you’ll love it… it’s a totally OUT of the box project!
Crystal, I am so happy to be here, and all of you giving me these great welcomes feels like the best hugs (but is there really a bad hug?NO!) I’ve got alot planned for this growing season … it’s about time to get rolling, right?
Pam! My Texan Blogger Sister! I’m so glad you like the header – it took me a full day to draw – and then it wasn’t long enough, so I had to do the whole thing all over again. But cartoon plants make me VERY happy… I need to get some thought bubbles up there (we know what the agaves are thinking, right?)
Your garden is coming along so well – you always inspire! Thanks for being here on my first day!
My new friend Willi! If I can get my images to look HALF as good as yours, I will be very happy. here’s to our being partners in crime!
Sweet Andrea! You were ALMOST the first comment – they were stacking up awaiting approval because I didn’t know I needed to do that! (I was so babied over at Dominomag) But you are ALWAYS rad!
And ‘cramnation’ is a contraction of ‘Cramming unto Damnation’, or ‘Cram us not into Damnation’ … my co-workers are always afraid of my planting exuberance. But it hasn’t failed me yet!
XOXO, dear one!
Yay ChuckB!!! Now it’s a BLOG! I cheered when you won the poetry contest on Garden Rant. Thanks for visiting on my first day!
HURRAAAYYYYY! I’m just so happy you’re back. It’s been far too long and you have been sorely missed! XOXO
Welcome back to the fracas and blog-o-sphere, Germi! We’ve missed you. Now, drop what you are doing and come to Spring Fling in Chicago for all garden bloggers.
ps, Your header is awesome.
I saw you on Bonnie Hunt today, fantastic. But, I missed all the ingrediants for killing the bugs on the plants. garlic, cheyenne, then I couldn’t hear anymore. Can you please guide me where this is located on your site. I am looking but haven’t found it yet.
Thank you in advance. Darlene
So glad you’re back.~~Dee
I have been checking the website for WEEKS and got all excited when it changed from “get this site” to “this site is under construction” !!!! I am so excited about reading your gardening adventures again continuing to get inspired by you and your garden!
And hey, there’s another blogger from Texas??
Katef!!!! My soulmate in foodie-ism! I felt so sad not having a blog so that we could post back and forth – but now I’m in the game again! And this is really more ‘me’ than the Domino gig… I get to draw my own cartoons! Here’s to a summer of growing and cooking and chatting!
XOXO!!!
Hi MA – I can’t wait for Spring Fling – to be in fabulous Chicago with all the garden bloggers should be fodder for YEARS of posts, right? And to finally meet everyone – what fun! I’m so glad you like the header – I love drawing plant cartoons, and now I have the perfect outlet!
Darlene – I’ll post a wrap-up later on tonight with all of the ingredients and some behind the scenes antics! I’m glad you enjoyed the segment – I love my Bonnie Hunt time! Thanks for visiting my blog – you are always welcome to our little online garden party!
Dee! Hi! What a treat having you comment – thanks so much … and I have to tell you, I had a bunch of succulents damaged in a freak hailstorm a couple of weeks ago. I cried. Nobody but another gardener could understand! by the way, our blogs are color-coordinated. Snap!
Tina sweetheart! Dearest, cutest cousin! Thanks for being patient – and give the link to your Mom so she can check out my new ‘digs’ hahaha – a pun….
And there are SO MANY Texan bloggers, especially from Austin – they are a category all of their own. Check out
penick.net/digging/
Pam has a whole blogroll of Austin gardeners, and you can get TONS of tips from them, too! I love you, honey! Keep in touch, okay?
this is a Sad Site….where are the things that You shared on Bonnie Hunt. I clicked on Bonnie’s site and it just gives you the last part of your portion…Please help…where do i go to find out what You sprayed on the plants
Hey Randee58! This isn’t a SAD Site – It’s a HOT site! It’s just a BABY site … and I didn’t know that they hadn’t put my recipe up on The Bonnie Hunt website. Gimme a second, I’m a busy woman, but if you check back tomorrow, you’ll see a post show wrap-up with all the info.
The Germinatrix is a Sad-Free Site! Right, Everybody?!
I’m sorry I’m late! Happy Blogwarming!
E-Mullet, my dear, the party doesn’t start without you! Being fashionably late is always appropriate, anyway – right! I’m so glad to see you on my new blog! Just like old times…
xoxo
Oh, mom was over this weekend and we definitely perused the site
Thanks for the links, I have so much to learn and I LOVE how this blog is like it’s own blossoming garden of support, a real community!
Welcome back, Ivette! I’m so glad to be reading your blog again. I’ve been awaiting it with bated breath and look forward to lots of gardening fun and adventure. Hooray for plant fiends!
with much affection,
AnaPilar
Tina! I adore the idea of you and Nora reading the blog together! Well, I adore the idea of the two of you know matter what … Christina is my sweet, incredible cousin, everybody – and a great young gardener in her own right!
You are a wonder, dear heart! Love you!
Starlily … oh, what an evocative name! And then AnaPilar is just as lovely. So happy that we are all hanging out again – I can’t tell you how thrilling it is to receive all these joyful comments – I’m walking on air!
Here’s to being plant fiends together!
Tina! Christina is my incredible cousin, everybody – and a gardener in her own right. Anything for you, dearest heart! Did Nora like the blog? I can hear her laughing…
Hi Starlily, she of the two amazing names! (AnaPilar – just beautiful!) I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to get all these joyful welcome back messages – I am walking on AIR!
Here’s to all of us plant fiending together!
thank heavens i found you! can we please have an encore post of “wormy love” from the bonnie hunt show? i started a worm bin and have had many friends ask how i did it. my answer is “i just did what the germinatrix told me to do…” encore! encore! (pretty please.)
can’t wait to read your new blog adventures!
Yes, Kellymac – I think I have to re-post ‘Wormy Love’. I’ll risk the wrath of Conde Nast! They can’t fault me for spreading the news about worm composting!
… if they do, we’ll just stage an uprising…
I’ll re-post it after the Yucatan adventure series.
I want to say – thank you for this!
Yep, my kinda blog. Glad you’re back and that I happened upon your cyber/germinatrix self. Stop by when you have a chance,
Alice @ http://BayAreaTendrils.blogspot.com
and btw, I’m depending upon you for up-to-date dirt on L.A.
I’ll trade news and views for the S.F. Bay Area.
R u on twitter??
Hi Alice! Your site just makes me drool … I love all that inspiration gathered in one place! I’m linking to you; everyone needs to see this. And I will try to dig up as much LA area garden dirt as I can!
I’m not on Twitter, but it is getting harder and harder to stay away … I like long answers, though. As you can see, I’m a TALKER! But Tweeting seems to be the wave of the future – I’m always a late adopter.
Nice to make a new blog friend!
Germi! At last I’ve found you! I’ve been Googling, looking for your new site, and lo and behold, woot- there it is! It really made my day seeing your lovely curls and with succulent once again.
(My blog died a sad and sorry death, (my ex-boyfriend bought the domain name just to be a jerk.) I need to get one up and running, but just haven’t had the motivation or the focus. Some day, I’ll get my blogging act together. Hopefully, your new blog will inspire me.)
Welcome back, Jules
P.S.- I love that name “Emotional Mullet” I LOL’d on that one.
I meant, “you lovely curly hair with succulent”. Damn lack of typing skills!
“your lovely curly hair” GADS! What is wrong with me?
Yes…yet another ditto to what we’ve all been saying!
It has seemed like a long, long wait–going on faith that
youd make good your promise to return.
And now here you are, right on time to coalesce with
rest of Spring garden Exuberance.
Love the image of all of us regularly checking back to a dead link,
month after month, hoping for a sign of life. Like checking our
seedlings for lifesigns three times a day–waiting, waiting…
Happy to have found your blog. I just purchased two really large upright Rosemary plants and I would like to know what is the best way to plant them and care for them. By the way I am in the California desert.
Thanks.