September Speaker - Iconic Plants of the Ruth Bancroft Garden by Brian Kemble
Ruth began planting her dry garden in 1972, although she began collecting succulents long before that. For many years, the Bancroft family had run a farm growing walnuts and pears, and it was the removal of the last 3½ acres of walnuts that provided an opening for Ruth to begin planting her extensive collection of succulents and other plants with low water needs. There were certain plant groups that she gravitated toward, including the Agavaceae (agaves, yuccas and their relatives), aloes, echeverias and terrestrial bromeliads (such as dyckias and hechtias), so these are of course well represented in the garden’s plantings. Over the course of time, a long succession of plants caught her eye and were incorporated into the mix, including many kinds of cacti, members of the protea family, and various bulbs, resulting in the rich botanical tapestry that we see today. This presentation features a whirlwind tour of the garden’s most prominent denizens.
Brian Kemble is the Curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, and he has worked there since 1980. He is also the VP of the San Francisco Succulent & Cactus Society and the VP of the Institute for Aloe Studies (based in Oakland). He has been on many trips near and far to see succulent plants in habitat, including to Mexico, South Africa, Madagascar, Namibia and Ethiopia. He has written many articles on succulents (including some in the Cactus & Succulent Journal), and his photos appear in numerous books on succulents.
