The Ruth Bancroft Garden
Emerging from the passionate works of one extraordinary woman The Ruth Bancroft Garden is not your average public garden. This past winter I had the honor of interning among dedicated staff, volunteers and board members there. My time spent at the Garden will serve as a source of inspiration as I continue my pursuits in public horticulture.
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| Last Day of as a Development and Administrative intern |
At little history about the person behind the garden
Ruth Bancroft is a passionate horticulturist that has dedicated her life to gardening and to various collections. Ruth continues to serve as a testament of the power of horticulture at the age of 106. Ruth started the garden when she was in her 60s. At that time her husband Philip Bancroft offered her 2.5 acres to create a garden of her choice. With a large collection of succulents, she seized this opportunity and worked with Lester Hawkins, co-owner of Western Hills Nursery. He helped design the layout of pathways and garden beds. But Ruth chose her plants and began the masterpiece that many have grown to love!
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| Ruth in her Garden 1976 |
After a visit from Frank and Anne Cabot in 1988, this Garden became the first project of the Garden Conservancy. In 1994, the garden was officially recognized as a non-profit, Ruth Bancroft Garden, Inc. In the years to follow this Garden continued to gain international attention and now ranks nationally as one of America's finest examples of a xeriscape or dry garden.
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| Texture running wild, as you turn each corner |
My time at the Ruth Bancroft Garden
I first heard of the Ruth Bancroft Garden during my time as an intern at Stonecrop Gardens, the original home of Anne and Frank Cabot. After several years had passed, I decided to reach out to the Ruth Bancroft Garden. To my delight, I was offered and accepted a month-long internship at the Garden. I hit the ground running by assisting within development and fundraising. I worked closely with the Volunteer Executive Director and staff on a 2.5 million dollar capital campaign for a visitor and education center. Even though I was only there for a month, I was able to become deeply rooted and touched by the Garden's character. I was also able to practice my photography!
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| Black and White |
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| Eye candy |
Meeting Ruth
Behind the 2.5 acre dry garden sets Ruth's house, surrounded by lush gardens and filled to the brim with Bearded Iris, Phlox and flowering trees. As the Garden's Director and I meandered through the gardens, we found ourselves at a doorstep. After a few knocks, we entered the sunroom and walked into the adjoining room where Ruth was reading the newspaper with a magnifying glass. I will never forget that moment, when she lit up once she realized that I had come all the way from New York and worked at Stonecrop Gardens. She told me that Frank and Anne helped save the garden. I have to admit, I was so overwhelmed, that I just smiled from ear to ear. She has a gravity about her that no amount of words can describe. She has inspired so many and is a beautiful person.
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| Meeting Ruth for the first time |
At the age of 106 Ruth is 82 years my senior but we both have a love, passion and devotion to horticulture. Meeting this horticultural icon has taught me a very valuable lesson about identities of public gardens. The series of actions required to create and maintain a garden will imprint upon a community, such that the community wouldn't be the same without the garden. The Ruth Bancroft Garden is an important part of the charm of Walnut Creek, California
Lasting impacts
One of the unexpected thrills of my internship was being able to plant a piece of history. Aeonium ‘Glenn Davidson’was the first plant that started Ruth's succulent collection and I planted a piece of the same plant within the newly expanded nursery/sales area. Something I will always remember and cherish !!!
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| Aeonium ‘Glenn Davidson’, Ruth (1970's) and Me (2015) |
No matter where life takes me The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a garden worth preserving for generations to come. I will be forever grateful to have been a part of this unforgettable botanical gem and look forward to helping this Garden reach its full glory. Thank you to all of the staff, volunteer, foundations, funders and board members that made my time in California possible.
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