HCC Speaker Series -
History and Highlights of the
Ruth Bancroft Garden
Ruth Bancroft was a genuine ‘dirt gardener’ who worked with her hands, kept meticulous records and enjoyed living with her husband on the 400-acre Bancroft family fruit farm in Walnut Creek.
The first-generation daughter of Swedish immigrants, Ruth attended the School of Architecture at UC Berkeley where her education was
derailed by the Depression. Bancroft began her garden on a 3-acre plot on the farm in the 1950s. Some may even remember Ruth’s weekly garden column in the East Bay Times.
By the time she died in 2017 at age 109, she had received international recognition and acclaim. Yet, Bancroft maintained a simple and genuine love for ‘dry gardening'. Her extraordinary succulents and cacti have a year-round presence, coming in and out of bloom and coloration as if the plants were absorbed in a fascinating conversation with each other. Hear about the magical Bancroft Gardens offering visual delights throughout the year.
