Today the Garden Designers Roundtable is celebrating gardens from all over the world. And it just so happens that one of the most beloved public gardens in California is located right down the street from me.
In the 1950’s, Ruth Bancroft paid a visit on Mrs. Glenn Davidson, expecting to purchase some Asian collectibles. Instead, she went home with her first succulent, a hybrid Aeonium. Captivated by its allure, she proceeded to spend the second half of her life creating one of North America’s premier dry gardens. Located at the site of a former walnut orchard in Walnut Creek California, the Ruth Bancroft Garden inspired the founding of the Garden Conservancy and has become a national model for preservation.
Ruth’s accomplishments are particularly notable when you consider that succulents were not at all chic when she started. Her garden aesthetic was completely at odds with the type of English estate-inspired garden design being done at the time.
Although she is not generally mentioned in garden history books or classes, I consider Ruth to be one of the early pioneers of regional design, as she took her inspiration from the beauty of western landscapes rather than importing ideas and plants from another state or continent - a design philosophy many of us are just now catching up to. Ruth began creating her garden while in her sixties. In a few months she will turn 104 and it is only in the past five years that she has stopped working in the garden herself.
Truly, you are never too old to follow your passion and make your mark on this world.
This garden has been an inspiration to me for a long time. Twelve years ago I wrote a paper on Ruth Bancroft for a garden design class. Next month on May 22, I’ll have the honor of giving a vertical gardening presentation there. Who knows? If I'm very lucky, you may find me celebrating my own 100th birthday in the garden.
To find out what gardens have inspired other designers, including special guest Fern Richardson from Life on the Balcony, be sure to check out these roundtable posts:
Fern Richardson : Life on the Balcony : Orange County CA
Susan Cohan : Miss Rumphius’ Rules : Chatham, NJ
Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT
Rochelle Greayer : Studio G : Boston, MA
Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In The Garden : Los Altos, CA
Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK
Truly amazing. I really hope I get to visit next time I'm there.
You are welcome anytime! I have a membership and love to take visitors.
Posted by: Andrew Keys | April 24, 2012 at 07:18 AM
Right down the street from you? How lucky you are!
How did I know this garden would speak to your succulent-loving heart? :-)
Posted by: Loree/danger garden | April 24, 2012 at 08:05 AM
A beautiful tribute, Susan, and a story that inspires. Off to buy some native plants...then back into the garden...
Sounds like a great day to me.
Posted by: Janis/begarden | April 24, 2012 at 09:56 AM
I'm so used to hyperfocusing on succulents in container settings, it's neat and nice to see them in larger gardens.
Some of the agaves and cacti are huge! Plus, it's a nice opportunity to see succulent paired with a range of other dry plants.
Posted by: Fern @ Life on the Balcony | April 24, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Thanks for showing the one place I was sure I would visit my recent trip there...missed! I had no idea Ruth B. was still alive, let alone 104 years old.
What an inspiring place and person! Some of us are carrying on her paradigm - decades later - the work that goes against the sometimes garden thought, circa 1880 northeastern estate.
She gets overlooked by garden history chroniclers, but I think she has her place. And even if you missed out on RBG, seems to me you managed to squeeze in a LOT of garden activities while you were here!
Posted by: Desert Dweller / David C. | April 24, 2012 at 11:16 AM
"Truly, you are never too old to follow your passion and make your mark on this world." - Amen, Sista!
I have YOU to thank for introducing me to this beautiful garden and am thinking I need to pay another visit soon. Maybe around lunchtime? Maybe when Nick's home and feels like cooking????
Good to know you have your priorities in order. :-)
And thanks for sharing some of your pictures!
Posted by: rebecca sweet | April 24, 2012 at 05:55 PM
Susan... Thank you. Your post touches my heart and the plants that I have become most passionate about. Ruth is a remarkable woman to understand such beauty way before succulents were popular.
Thank you, Sheila!
Posted by: Sheila Schultz | April 24, 2012 at 06:05 PM
Ruth sounds like an amazing woman and her garden is simply beautiful. How wonderful to learn about someone who discovered and followed her passion and then shared it with some many others.
I hope you can make it out here to visit one day!
Posted by: Debbie | April 24, 2012 at 06:16 PM
Inspiring story! Lucky you to live so close to this amazing, pioneering garden.
Hope you can visit one day, Pam.
Posted by: Pam/Digging | April 26, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Looks so beautiful and I hope to visit sometime soon. And with any luck we will both be in our gardens at 100!
I'm counting on it!
Posted by: Jeannine | April 27, 2012 at 05:23 PM
Lovely post. I am about to start a new garden in what I like to call my golden year. Occasionally I wonder if I am being unrealistic as I have another major project in the works. Thanks for the inspiration.
P.S. Is it me or are there a lot of Susans in garden world?
There are a lot of Susans EVERYWHERE. I think it was a top ten baby name for something like 20 years. But these days we've been surpassed by the Brittneys and the Ashleys.
Thanks for stoppping by!
Posted by: Susan | May 03, 2012 at 08:16 AM
Hey that is stunning.
Loved your personal link with the garden and have high hopes for your plans for your 100th!
bEST
r
Posted by: Robert Webber | May 03, 2012 at 10:30 AM
The description and photographs provided in the blogs are really awesome. I really liked the theme and design of the garden very much. Its an amazing creativity.
Posted by: Landscape Architect Sydney | May 09, 2012 at 09:49 PM
You're right about that. No one is too old to follow his/her passion. And these garden really showed Ruth's passion in gardening. It's amazing that she had pulled this off, even though she started doing this at 60 years old. May she served as an inspiration for us. Good in giving her recognition!
Posted by: Katy Eagles | May 18, 2012 at 01:37 PM