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Photography by Gerhardt Book
Experience the and eventually rezoned for residential use. The last walnut
trendsetting garden orchard was cut down in 1971 and instead of selling this
of the future section of land, descendant Philip Bancroft Jr. gave the land
to his wife, Ruth, as a home for her already expansive potted
By Matt Larson succulent collection.
Born Ruth Petersson in 1908, she developed an affinity
The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek has been for plants early in life while growing up in Berkeley. A for-
steadily growing in popularity in recent years. Perhaps it’s mer economics teacher in Merced, Ruth met her husband
due to the drought concerns we’ve been experiencing here in on a blind date that changed it all. They wed in 1939 and
California? Lush, green lawns are already becoming a thing she moved to the family farm in Walnut Creek where her
of the past. More and more yards are starting to resem- garden now thrives for all to see. Ruth’s love for plants
ble the Ruth Bancroft Garden, which is a drought-tolerant evolved over time, finding interest in bearded irises, roses,
public garden full of cacti and succulents, requiring little perennials and more, but it was in 1950 that she pur-
to no irrigation. What you’ll see when touring the grounds chased her first succulent—a single potted aeonium. She
was cultivated by Ruth Bancroft herself. Planted in 1972, became fascinated with the water conservation power of
the garden has grown steadily to become much more than the plant and began collecting them. An avid collector in
a garden, but an educational facility, a retail plant shop and general, Ruth soon had allotted a grand collection of pot-
a world-renowned tourist attraction. ted succulents, which she grew in lath-houses and green-
Whilst perusing the garden you’ll be walking on land that houses. In 1972, the Ruth Bancroft Garden we know and
was once part of a 400-acre fruit farm that produced walnuts love today was officially born.
and Bartlett pears. Over the years, much of the land was sold There was no particular science to the way Ruth planted
her garden. “It wasn’t designed as a botanical garden—it
