More plant chat

Re: my last post: many of you had a good guess on the species tulips for the cream one. You guessed Tulipa dasystemon...but if you look closely, which Jill Selinger of the Chicago Botanic Garden did (she's a bulb expert), you would have seen the blueish foliage and recognized Tulipa turkestanica. It's an early bloomer that goes for years...just needs it well-drained and the more sun, the better. The other, red tulip, was the species clusiana, but I've forgotten the cultivar.
Now to these plant pix. Above, were some containers with perennials and annuals that should last until October....We planted them Tuesday expecting cold temps (we had a dusting of snow this morning), but I was surprised they weathered the 5 inches of torrential rains we had Wednesday & Thursday.
Below, is a Bromeliad I brought this client of many years...the astonishment there was to see that it exactly matched an ashtray of hers!

The First Species Tulips...

...Bloomed this week! Do you know these little beauties?

Mayan Mam Elders

During my guatemalan site-visit, I was inspired by several Mayan Mam elders who took part in AFOPADI programs. Their continued energy and commitment, not to mention beauty, inspires me.
Today, I was speaking with a colleague here in Chicago, a terrific architect in his 60s with a long white beard. We were discussing society's attitude towards those of us who are not "youth." Mostly he gets called Santa Claus, though he has noted an uptake in hip young men complimenting his beard so he is wondering what current band has a member sporting a beard. He also noted that his Asian clients have a totally different attitude coming from cultures where elders are respected. I have always believed that it takes a community, not just in terms of age, but also in skills, personality types and experience.

I'll be speaking about my guatemalan trip on WBEZ's Worldview 2 April 2013

This woman is a midwife and an agricultural promotor. She has 10 kids and finally got the courage to leave an abusive husband.

On Tuesday, April 2nd, I will be speaking for about 10 mins. on WBEZ's Worldview, likely at the end of the show unless somebody doesn't show. This is all exciting & fun and in preparation for SSG's participation in the Worldview Global Activism Expo this Saturday from noon to 6 pm at the UIC Forum. In the hope that pictures speak louder than words, I post a few here of some of the inspiring people I spent time with on my recent SSG and Earthways visit to AFOPADI in Guatemala.

 This man lives in a village dry as dust with little available water. He practices permaculture and has made amazing strides with the land and internally. A total optimist! 

This man used to work in the mines. Now he is like the Johnny Appleseed of AFOPADI, an agricultural promotor who is a true man of the earth.

Finally there is me with one of the sweetest of the women I have met and have known since I first started visiting the AFOPADI projects in 2005. She witnessed her brother being executed in front of the whole village during the war. She is a wonderful weaver of cloth as well as being able to weave her way through the daily reality of that legacy.