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June 2011 The Gift Grows On By Jody Morgan
Serving Danville
Imagine a gift that’s growing across 2 ½ acres with living branches brushing the sky. Would you deed it to a stranger? Fortunately for the generations of visitors benefiting from her generosity, Ruth Bancroft’s aptitude for assessing an appropriate preservation opportunity matched her ability to envision harmonious horticultural compositions. Many visitors to the Ruth Bancroft Garden still ask: “Will this all be housing?” In 1988, Frank Cabot expressed a similar concern. Friends claiming Ruth’s dry garden was a sight he shouldn’t miss dragged Frank to Walnut Creek. Arriving with no expectation that a collection of drought tolerant plants would interest him, Cabot was overwhelmed by Ruth’s ingenious combination of colorful succulent carpets with statuesque trees and flowering plants from around the world. Tactfully phrasing the question to his octogenarian hostess, Frank asked what would happen to the garden when she could no longer tend it. Having already addressed the issue with her offspring, Ruth th Ruth Bancroft celebrating her 100 birthday. Photo by Jane Rotermund. replied, “When I go, the garden goes.” Appalled, Cabot promised he would not let that happen. Over the course of the next few years, he set up the Garden Conservancy. Giving her work of the past two decades to the public as the first property in Cabot’s non-profit organization permitted Ruth to preserve it. Ruth’s interest in succulents began in the early 1950’s when she set out to buy furniture at a yard sale and spotted a potted plant she craved. The lady of the house, Mrs. Glenn Davidson, happily sold Ruth an Aeonium that she’d hybridized herself. Having acquired one rosette shaped specimen reminiscent of a child’s sketch of a rose, Ruth wanted more. She had thousands of succulents by the time her husband, Philip, offered her space from which he was removing a grove of blighted walnut trees for her dry garden. Lester Hawkins of Western Hills Nursery was hired to design the layout for the winding paths. In 1972, Ruth dug her plants into the new beds and lost 90% to a freeze. Never daunted by disaster, Ruth devised covers to protect tender plants from winter wet and extreme cold and re-planted. Land containing Ruth’s collections of roses, irises, and herbs as well as her home remained family property when Bancroft transferred the three acres including her xeroscopic garden to the Conservancy. Angela Lansbury, accepting the role of honorary chair, attended the official opening of the Ruth Bancroft Garden in April 1992, extending the fame of the venture way beyond horticultural circles. For Ruth, the transition from private to public garden was simultaneously thrilling and chilling. Used to spending up to 12 hours a day working hatless and gloveless amongst her plants, Ruth found being spotted weeding by complete strangers a bit shocking. “Mom never wanted to be a tourist attraction,” comments her daughter Nina Dickerson. Always glad to share her horticultural
See Bancroft continued on page 6 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit 263 Alamo CA
Danville 4th of July Parade
The Kiwanis sponsored Danville 4th of July Parade kicks off this year’s event with a parade celebration with the theme, “Recognizing Our Future Leaders.” Our community is very privileged to have a great number of enthusiastic, creative, and dedicated young people who may be easily identified as this community’s future leaders. This year’s parade will attempt to both recognize and honor these young leaders and support their diverse goals and dreams. This hometown parade will begin Monday, July 4th at 9AM. Please note no spectator chairs are allowed next to the parade route until 6PM, July 3rd. For more information, please visit www.kiwanis-srv.org/parade.asp.
California State Assemblymember Joan Buchanan (15th district) was an Honored Guest on Sunday, May 22nd at a Girl Scout Gold Award Ceremony in Danville. The Gold Award recipients were: Megan Cable (left) and Sydney Collins. The San Ramon Valley High School seniors completed their Gold Award project in August, 2010. The Gold Award project titled “Art From the Start” consisted of the development of an art program at an elementary school in Concord that, because of state budget constraints, had no art program for their students. The Volume II - Number 8 senior Girl Scouts held fundraisers, 3000F Danville Blvd. #117, Alamo, CA 94507 received donated art supplies, and, Telephone (925) 405-NEWS, 405-6397 after consulting with area art docents, Fax (925) 406-0547 developed an art curriculum for the teachers to follow. Lastly, they painted Alisa Corstorphine ~ Publisher a mural at the school site and had the editor@yourmonthlypaper.com younger students participate with this by The opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, and do placing their painted handprints on the not necessarily reflect that of Danville Today News. Danville Today News is not responsible for the content of any of the wall as part of the flowers in the mural. advertising herein, nor does publication imply endorsement.