Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The Ruth Bancroft Garden



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.

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!

Ruth in her Garden 1976
A Garden worth saving

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.

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!


Sunset on the agave 
Succulents in all their glory  

Aloes taking center stage as spring begins 

I can see why hummingbirds adore aloes
Crassulaceae  
The modified leaves(Spines) of the barrel cactus 
An undersea realm
Up close and personal 
Black and White 
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.

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 !!!

 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.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

National Tropical Botanical Garden: Maui Adventures: Part 3

Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm
Due to a wet fall most of the lavender plants didn't display their true glory but our visit to the farm was lovely. Overall being surrounded by the fragrance and aromas was a treat. I made sure to stock up on my lavender product from the gift shop. The overall style and layout of the garden was full of picture perfect vistas and views of the coast. 

"Created by Agricultural Artist and Horticultural Master, Ali’i Chang, AKL’s 13.5-acre farm resides at an elevation of roughly 4000 ft. and is home to approximately 55,000 lavender plants and 45 different varieties of lavender. Olive trees, hydrangea, Protea, succulents and an exceptional variety of other plants can be found on the farm, which offers the first and only Lavender Lifestyle experience on Maui."

Lavandula stoechas (Spanish Lavender)
Container gardens appeared in each space. 
Tranquility among the flowers
The garden was filled with sculptures 
Surrounded by lavender 
King Protea around every corner
Bees busy at work 

Pipiwai Trail & Waimoku Falls


Beauty among the bamboo forest
Almost to Waimoku Falls 
Made it to Waimoku Falls 

 

Great end to a beautiful hike
Double waterfall 
What a way to end the hike !

 I will always remember my adventure during a FANTASTIC trip to Maui !


Tuesday, November 25, 2014

National Tropical Botanical Garden: Maui Adventures: Part 2


Just a taste of my quest into the Haleakala crater

 Years ago, I was first taught the adaptations associated with the Haleakala Silversword in basic botany. From that very moment, I knew I had to see these botanical beauties in person. Thankfully some of the National Tropical Botanical Garden interns were able to travel the Maui garden, Kahanu Garden. This was a chance of a life time and I jumped on this opportunity. After weeks of planing and working out the logistics required to spend a night in the crater, we were ready to begin another journey. 

Haleakala National Park is set in "a dormant, but not extinct volcano, that forms the east side of Maui. The Hawaiian area is sacred to native islanders, as well as a famous destination for island visitors. Elevation is 10,023 feet. Haleakala National Park, featuring two entrances, affords visitors an amazing experience that includes distant vistas, waterfalls, rain forest, plants, wildlife, and volcanic scenery."


My first sighting and selfie !
Hiking into the crater 

From start to finish there was a noticeable change in landscape as the grasslands turned into rolling hills of volcanic rock outcrops. This wind swept landscape is filled with the stories of evolutionary pressure that have allow certain adaptations to develop   

Rolling hills dominated by grasses 
A contrast of wonder 
Grasses seem to go on for miles 





The landscape changes as we hike further into the crater 
Clumps of green scattered in the landscape 
Rocks adorn the surface 
A botanical paradise
Mars 
Shrubs hold on to the side canyons 
Trails leading to an unknown world 
No picture will do it justice 
The landscape continues to change 


Almost to the center 
Speechless views
Haleakala Silversword overload

The Haleakalā silversword is endemic to the region of the Haleakala crater meaning that is only found on the island of Maui at elevations above 2,100 meters.  Due to excessive grazing by cattle and goats, and vandalism the silverswords are protected as threatened species Over the years this species' recovery has been met with considerable success. Plants that are within the Silversword alliance are in the plant family Asteraceae (sunflower family). These plants are monocarpic, so once they flowers and produces seed they rapidly senescent and die. 


What spectacular specimens 
Some signage 
Glory in 3's
Generations of blooms to come
The future 
In full-bloom 
Brilliant purple disc and ray flowers make for a fabulous inflorescence
Botanical beauty 
Perfect timing 
Up close and personal  
A family for the next generation
Splendid 
Notice the old leaves still lagging on the steam
Growing on the volcanic rocks
Old leaves protect phloem and xylem from the every changing temperatures 
Close and personal, again 
Small hairs show more adaptations to their environment
Some of the unique flora of Haleakala 

"Over 850 species of plants are found within the bounds of Haleakala National Park. Of these, over 400 species are native, or arrived without human intervention; over 300 species are endemic to Hawai'i, found only in the islands. This astonishing diversity reflects the variety of climates and elevations that allowed plants to fill niches from dry alpine deserts to humid, salt-sprayed coastlines. Plant communities formed in some of the most unlikely dry deserts and lush rainforests. Ethereal silverswords, bird-pollinated geraniums, Seussian na'ena'e and mintless mints are a few of the amazing plants that evolved in the unique and diverse environment on Haleakala."

Dubautia menziesii
Coprosma montana
Leptecophylla tameiameiae
Dodonaea viscosa 
Stereocaulon vulcani

Sadleria cyatheoides
Sadleria cyatheoides
Asplenium trichomanes subsp. densum


Sunrise and hiking out of the crater


Greeting the morning 
Beautiful sunrise
 Progress up the trail in the morning sun
Getting closer to the top 
Clouds dot the morning sky
A trail full of zig zags up the crater 
Almost to the top 
Great view of the ocean 



Thank you to the National Park system for current ID and facts associated with this blog. Cannot wait to continue botanizing !