The mission of The Ruth Bancroft Garden is to preserve the example set in landscaping by Ruth Bancroft for the education and enjoyment of the public.

Description:
The Ruth Bancroft Garden rises above the status of a collection and becomes an exceptional demonstration of the art of garden design. Working primarily with the dramatic forms of her beloved succulents, Ruth Bancroft has created bold and varied compositions in which the colors, textures, and patterns of foliage provide a setting for the sparkle of floral color. The three-acre garden was begun in 1972 in Walnut Creek, California, and has garnered international acclaim from the horticultural community as an example of dry gardening appropriate for California's Mediterranean climate. The Garden was the inspiration for the founding of The Garden Conservancy, the nation's leading non-profit dedicated to the preservation of historic private gardens.

History:
Noted Western scholar Hubert Howe Bancroft moved his family to Walnut Creek in the 1880's, developing pear and walnut orchards on 400 acres of land below Mt. Diablo. Grandson Philip took over the farming operation in the 1940's. His wife Ruth, an avid gardener since her childhood in Berkeley, began to develop gardens around the house in the early 50's, at the same time as she began to collect potted succulents in greenhouses and shadehouses. As the farming operation was phased out in the late 1960's, Mrs. Bancroft welcomed the opportunity to create a dry garden with her succulents on 3½ acres of former walnut orchard.

In 1972, garden designer Lester Hawkins laid out the framework for this garden with mounded beds and meandering paths. Mrs. Bancroft then began the task of arranging and planting the many plants from her collection.

In 1989 The Garden Conservancy, a national organization devoted to helping preserve exceptional American gardens, was conceived at The Ruth Bancroft Garden, which would become the organization's first preservation project in 1992. In 1993, The Ruth Bancroft Garden, Inc. was incorporated as a non-profit organization. During the summer of 1994, Mrs. Bancroft deeded the land that constitutes The Garden to this organization. Today The Garden flourishes as a source of inspiration, information and enjoyment for the public. Future plans include an environmentally sustainable Reference Library and Visitor and Education Center.

Contact person: Becky Rice, Executive Director, (925) 944-9352, (email)
Office fax number: (925) 256-1889

Address:

1552 Bancroft Road Walnut Creek, CA 94598 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Pleasant Hill BART,   Walk distance (in minutes): 15   Nearest Bus Stop: #107 Bus line / stop at intersection of Bancroft Rd and Stratton Rd, 0 minute walk