When I visited The Ruth Bancroft Garden in the summer of
2011, I was taken with the long arbor, which provides shade for tender
succulents in the hot sun (see Shady Ideas). Under the arbor grows a border,
planted with succulents, cactus, and Mediterranean plants in keeping with the
garden’s theme. I was just as taken with the winterized version of this arbor,
which is transformed with visqueen into an “other-worldly” green house.
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| Exterior view of the winterized arbor. |
In this protected environment, plants grow, bloom, and carry
out their normal life cycle. Recently the Garden obtained the special rocks
they use to construct raised garden beds. The crushed rocks, mixed with organic
material and soil, provide the good drainage these plants require. The rocks
are native - quarried locally near Mount Diablo. With the reworked garden beds
and the protected environment, the tender border thrives through the winter.
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| Inside view of the protected greenhouse. |
During our docent-led tour, with no exterior views to distract us, we could focus on the variety and details of the plants before
us. Some plants were blooming, or preparing to bloom; some
exhibited beautiful color variations; some looked like they belonged in the ocean; and some looked like creatures out of an old Sci Fi
movie!
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