Echeveria Round Table

By Gary Ware
Tuesday, May 21, 7:00 pm

This month’s meeting will feature a round table discussion of all things Echeveria, hosted by club member Gary Ware. Participation by other members is encouraged, so feel free to bring in plants you have questions or concerns about, or any Echeveria with offsets you wouldn’t mind parting with, or just ones to show off (these plants are featured on our show & tell table, and we’d like to see a good display!). Gary has this to say about the program:

We will exchange stories, growing tips and tricks, and share offsets of these wonderful plants that one can never have too many of. So come prepared to be part of the program.

I grew up in San Diego surrounded by and caring for succulents even though I was unaware of their proper names or the existence of clubs.  Our long driveway was lined by what I now know was E. imbricata, which I watered whether they needed it or not, as well as all the other things my mother had collected by exchange with neighbors, family and friends. We often visited the nearby Borrego Desert where Mom would “collect” any hapless cacti or plants that caught her eye as additions to her garden, this being long before present restrictions and laws now protecting them in habitat. Many plants escaped our yards onto roadsides, vacant lots and other odd locations where they continue to thrive to this day.

Years later in 1984, living in San Francisco and visiting Lone Pine Garden with a friend, I discovered and joined the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. The following year I was contacted by a SFSCS member, joined our club, and have been active in various capacities ever since. After moving north to Lake County for 16 years I was not able to attend meetings but took my growing collection with me and found out what could survive in that very different climate. Since returning to the Bay Area in Sonoma County in 2013 I’ve been able to resume enjoying our meetings and my remaining plants are much happier as well.

Along the way I’ve had the good fortune of meeting and being encouraged by many great growers, including Janet Price, Jack Napton, Lila Lillie, Dick Wright, Bob and Margaret Grim, Kaye Rosso, Brian Kemble and many others. I look forward to seeing you all at the meeting.

This month’s featured grower will be David Calibo.

What to bring:

For this month’s Show & Tell table, we will feature we will feature Echeveria on the succulent side and Echinopsis on the cactus side (including Lobivia and Trichocereus), and anything else looking good to share.

Please bring baked goodies, fruit, snack food or a beverage if your last name begins with the letters I to M, and any other members who would like to contribute this month.

Meeting Location:

Auditorium in the San Francisco County Fair Building, 1199 9th Ave (at Lincoln Way), San Francisco — MAP