… and then there was the “Exploring Oaxaca for Mammillaria and Echeveria” lecture, sponsored by the Oaxaca Garden and Nature Club.
The lecture was held at the Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca. The gardens are part of the magnificent old monastery complex of Santo Domingo, and have a storied history. The Dominican Order began construction in 1570; during the revolution, the buildings were used to house the cavalry; at one time it was “made available” to the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca; and in 1994 citizens protested plans to turn the grounds into a luxury hotel/convention center. Oaxacan artist and benefactor, Francisco Toledo and his foundation, Pro-Oax came to the rescue. The original impressive underground cistern system was uncovered and put into use and an (almost) 6-acre ethnobotanical garden was established to preserve, protect, and propagate Oaxaca’s rich biodiversity, that has nourished the people’s and their culture of this valley for thousands of years.
The speaker, John Pilbeam, is from England and leads expeditions to Oaxaca every year in a quest to see various cactus and succulents in their natural habitat. He is a 70-year-old man with that wonderfully dry British sense of humor that he used throughout the talk… definitely not boring! I learned a lot, even the name of one of my favorite rooftop garden plants:
Echeveria Pulvinata "Ruby"
The icing on the day’s cake, was John sat next to me at the luncheon that followed at La Olla and we had several delightful conversations throughout the meal, including his stories of growing up in World War II, London.
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 