A succulents day comes to Fairland
The Johannesburg Succulent Society hosted its annual succulent festival and people really soaked up the day.
The Johannesburg Succulent Society hosted its annual JSS Succulent Fest at Fairland Walk Shopping Centre.
Spanning two days, the festival showcased a variety of the country’s succulents.
Read more: Succulents galore for plant enthusiasts at JSS show
The society hosts this show at this time of the year as most of the plants in the country are starting to look their best. On the day, vendors were able to sell a variety of succulents, while society members showcased their plants.
“Our main function is to create a little community around this hobby and botanical heritage,” said the chairperson of the society Keith Witelson, adding they also use the day to attract new members.
He said social media had made people feel as though they were connected but in a superficial way, whereas events such as these brought people together and allowed for the spread of knowledge that could be cultivated and grown. “Through something like this, you can start to build a community around it, and a community is what causes change.”
Also read: Succulents for the patio
Speaking on the country’s flora, he said the variety was incomparable. He gave an example of a location in KZN, St Lucia where in one square kilometre there were more species of trees than in the whole of Europe. Witelson attributed this variety to the country’s geography, the escarpment, the ocean that surrounds the continent and the intense heat of the desert regions
Another fun component of the day was the inclusion of Parktown High School for Girls’ gardening club. Witelson is a maths teacher at the school and said getting the youth involved was about getting them to appreciate plants and showing them how appealing horticulture could be.
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