Arts & Entertainment
At 50 Years Old, Peninsula Succulent Club Participates in County Fair
In May, the club was honored by the California Garden Club for its longevity and success in gardening.
Established in 1961, the Peninsula Succulent Club (PSC) is one of the distinguished exhibitors at the San Mateo County Fair.
PSC is showing three exhibits at the fairground's Redwood Hall. The exhibits will run through the end of the fair on Sunday.
As its name suggests, PSC focuses on succulent plants. Succulents adapt to their surroundings by absorbing and retaining water in some area of their body, which allows them to survive in arid or dry climates.
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There are over 10,000 species of succulent plants across the world. Some are epiphytic, meaning they have the ability to grow in areas with little to no soil.
PSC member, Moss Beach resident and past president Cid Young commented that in addition to having several displays, the PSC also had success in the floral exhibit competitions.
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"One is a display garden out in front of Redwood Hall, and that's a five-by-five foot container garden of succulents that won first prize," Young said. "We won second place for creative design on that same display."
"Our propagation display won fifth place and we featured how to propagate plants without having to buy store plants by creating new plants from seeds, cuttings, rootings, things like that," Young added.
Possibly the most recognizable succulent to the common or not so-common plant enthusiast is the cactus. However, surprisingly, most succulents, including cacti, do not derive from the desert.
Young also explained that "the shorter and fatter the succulent, the more drought-tolerant it is," namely due to its capacity to hold water. Succulents can be found in a diversity of climates from rainforests to desert to rocky cliffs.
Longevity has been a strong suit for the PSC, having been established in the early 60's. Earlier this year, the local organization was honored for its consistency over time.
"In May, the California Garden Clubs, Inc. had their statewide convention, and the Peninsula Succulent Club was given an award for having been established for 50 years," Young said. "The award was presented by the state president and the national president."
Currently, the club maintains about 35 members across the Peninsula. If interested in joining, the PSC meets on the second Wednesday of every month, except for July and August, at the San Mateo Garden Center at Beresford Park in San Mateo at 12:30 p.m.
The next PSC meeting will take place September 14.
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