the ruth bancroft garden

Join a docent led tour at the Ruth Bancroft Gardens in Walnut Creek and you will find outThe answer to this question. This non profit garden is open week days and weekends. ForNewcomers to the area, local history comes alive. First Tuesday of the month has freeAdmission. Purchase plants from the nursery, that are drought resistant! Take home informativeCards about future events. Peek at the gift shop. Parking is plentiful, access off Ygnacio atBancroft Ave. Your curiosity will become awakened: when does the soda fed plant bloom?

I made a stop here at the Ruth Bancroft Gardens after visiting Mt. Diablo. I enjoyed strolling the paths and seeing all the wonderful desert plants. It was nice to sit down on the bench and feel the warmth of the sun and view such interesting flora and fauna. A stop at these gardens is well worth it if you're visiting Mt. Diablo or in the Walnut Creek area.The parking was limited, so I was lucky to find a place to park. I probably should've arrived before my trip to Mt. Diablo.

We had a wonderful time wandering in this garden. I had passed it quite a few times after hiking in the foothills of Mt. Diablo area. But we had never stopped. If we had brought our membership card for the UC Davis Arboretum, we could have entered for free. I didn't have it on me. I had fun doing some macro photography of some of the colorful succulents. With our drought, we need more sources of information about low water landscaping, and this garden is a great place to start. The garden also has plant sales.

This place was an incredible inspiration. I have been back many times to buy plants and just to enjoy the amazing ambiance. Ruth was inspired by succulents before they became so hip.

This is a hidden, unique treasure in Walnut Creek. A large garden area dedicated to cacti and succulents with walking paths, docent tours and an uncrowded relaxed place to walk and talk and marvel at flora beautifully presented. There is an admittance fee that supports the Bancroft Gardens, but it is minimal and worth the price. Sunny days, not too hot are best. About 30 to 45 minutes takes you through leisurely, but no one will rush you.

Spent some time wandering though the garden at a friend's wedding. What a lovely venue. The roses are spectacular andthe grounds are soothing and peaceful to walk through. Definitely recommend a stop if you're in the area.

what a wonderful garden environment, that varies depending on the season, rain or shine, a treat for the eyes, and an intro to plants that you may not know...

I had passed by this garden for several months, wondering what a cactus garden might look like. Having never really liked the look of the spiky plants and only seen how they are often portrayed in the movies amid dessert-like landscapes, I never had the desire to have cacti. Nevertheless, I was curious what a professional garden might look like, so, I finally went and liked it so much I stayed for nearly 3 hours.Entering the garden, you drive in to a gravel parking area with the garden to the left and a small, brown building in front of you and to the right. Park wherever, walk into the building, pay for your entry and tour documents and say hi to a friendly staff member. You are free to take as much of the tour as you'd like and at your own pace. There is a greenhouse a bit further back on the property, next to the parking area where you can buy cacti and talk to some of the professionals at the garden.I do love touring gardens, but usually when they are in bloom, filled with green, tall, leafy bushes, waterfalls and/or fountains and spacious green areas awaiting a picnic. This is not that. But pleasantly, even on a hot, hot, August Saturday, nestled in between 3 very busy streets, it's cooler, quieter, refreshing and relaxing.I was surprised that there wasn't a cafe or coffee/tea station, but there are many benches, chairs and tables to enjoy the peace, the view and chat with a companion or any one of the folks who work there.The written tour and map are very well done, following the garden path and numbered signs. The garden is more lush than I expected, provides a lot more shade than I expected and is a nice spot to get away from the busy town outside the garden walls. Yes, you still hear some of the sounds and smell some of the city's smells, but the beauty of this garden steals you away from reality for a little bit.This garden has wide paths and many resting areas but is wheelchair and stroller-friendly to those who don't mind a bit of jostling due to slightly bumpy terrain. The paths are made of packed soil and gravel.I give a thumbs up to the folks running this garden. Nice work.Oh- and they do have space for events, parties, business functions and weddings.

I attended a tasting tour of the local edibles being grown in the Garden. It was very fun and very informative! It might be a little slow for kids, but was a nice, relaxing afternoon for adults. they even had a casual tea/snack party for us at the end of the tour. The Garden itself is great and has a wonderful diversity of plant life. Mrs. Bancroft, the venerable matriarch of the land, still lives in the house beyond the gate. The things she must have seen change in the East Bay! Amazing! You really do feel connected to local life & history at this garden.

This is a landmark green in Walnut Creek that was founded by Ruth, who is now over 100 years old. The main feature is suculents, and great established trees.

My daughter and I visited Ruth Bancroft Garden . We thought it was going to be a short visit but we were so impressed we spent two hours there and we are going to return for the sculpture show when it comes next year.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a small garden. What I loved about this place was the friendly staff and the maps to take a self guided tour of the property. I also enjoyed the sculptures and nursery of plants for sale on site. There are some nice displays of plants.

Our primary reason for attending the Ruth Bancroft Garden is the annual sculpture show. Although many of the pieces are out of our price range, we have nonetheless managed, I think without fail, to find something to bring home each year.

You wouldn't expect it judged by the location, but once inside the gardens you'll find yourself in a little oasis. The garden tends to focus on plants native to this locale.

If you have time to volunteer and like plants this would be a great cause. Ruth is now too old to garden but she had a lovely idea. We went last week mid April and there were some flowers blooming but I would like to see it in season. This place is a lot of work and looks like it could use more volunteers but it is a lovely idea and a good place to spend an hour for a good cause. I bought the $35 membership rather than pay $10 each so that we could return and then you get 2 free guest passes and discounts on purchases.