Exploring the Ruth Bancroft Garden, October 2014 edition

It’s no secret, I love plant sales at the Ruth Bancroft Garden. I have my routine down pat. I’m there before the doors open to members at 9am, and I take no prisoners while I have my shopping hat on. But once my wagon is filled with the things I want, I begin to relax. That’s when I park my wagon and start to walk through the garden itself to enjoy its treasures.

141011_RBG_263

Plantings along Bancroft Road

The plant sale last Saturday was particularly nice in that regard. All the sale activity was in front of the nursery, while the garden itself was mostly empty. This made walking around a very tranquil affair.

Unfortunately, Saturday was another sunny day. Many parts of inland Northern California have close to 300 sunny days a year, which makes photography challenging. In fact, I have yet to visit the RBG on an overcast day!

Still, I did the best I could with what I was given. Here are the plants and sights that caught my eye.

141011_RBG_101
 
Agave lophantha
 
141011_RBG_102
 
Agave lophantha
 
141011_RBG_103
 
Agave guadalajarana
 
141011_RBG_107
 
Lots of echeverias
 
141011_RBG_111
 
Agave titanota
 
141011_RBG_112
 
Mixed succulents
 
141011_RBG_113
 
Agave attenuata, very tender
 
141011_RBG_117
 
Agave attenuata ‘Boutin Blue’, Aloe plicatilis and Bromelia balansae
 
141011_RBG_119
 
Miscellaneous echeverias and one lone unidentified aloe
 
141011_RBG_125
 
Dyckia fosteriana hybrid
 
141011_RBG_128
 
Miniature aeonium forest
 
141011_RBG_130
 
Miniature aeonium forest
 
141011_RBG_149
 
I love seeing more and more cycads added to the garden. This one looks like Dioon edule.
 
141011_RBG_142
 
Agave ‘Sharkskin Shoes’ in front Opuntia robusta laden with fruit
 
141011_RBG_144
 
Agave ‘Sharkskin Shoes’ in front Opuntia robusta laden with fruit
 
141011_RBG_147
 
Opuntia robusta
 
141011_RBG_171
 
Agave ovatifolia and Echinocactus grusonii
 
141011_RBG_167
 
Agave filifera ssp. microceps
 
141011_RBG_168
 
Agave parryi ssp. neomexicana ‘Rabid Dog’
 
141011_RBG_179
 
Agave xylonacantha
 
141011_RBG_178
 
Blooming aloes
 
141011_RBG_174
 
Agave ‘Mr Ripple’
 
141011_RBG_175
 
Agave ‘Mr Ripple’
 
141011_RBG_182
 
Dyckia ‘Catfight’
 
141011_RBG_184 141011_RBG_186
 
LEFT: Queensland bottle tree (Brachychiton sp.)   RIGHT: Aloes
 
141011_RBG_187 141011_RBG_197
 
Aloe ‘Hercules’
 
141011_RBG_223_pano
 
Lots of work going on near the north entrance. It’ll be exciting to see what this will look like next year.
 
141011_RBG_223
 
Aloe ‘Hercules’ on the right
 
141011_RBG_211_Xanthorrhoea-nana
 
Miscellaneous aloes
 
141011_RBG_208 141011_RBG_209
 
This is the first time I’ve seen these epiphytic cactus growing on a palm tree
 
141011_RBG_207
 
Sturt’s desert pea (Swainsona formosa)
 
141011_RBG_235
 
Sturt’s desert pea (Swainsona formosa)
 
141011_RBG_203
 
Agave ovatifolia
 
141011_RBG_201
 
Aloe ferox
 
141011_RBG_200
 
Agave sp. labeled ‘Davis Mt, Texas’
 
141011_RBG_192_Aloe-mutabilis
 
Aloe mutabilis, a smaller relative of Aloe arborescens
 
141011_RBG_195 141011_RBG_190_Aloe-mutabilis 
 
Ponytail palms (Beaucarnea recurvata) relocated from the north entrance where they would get nipped by cold temperatures in the winter. Here they are more sheltered by the overhead tree canopy.
 
141011_RBG_188
 
Aloe capitata var. quartziticola
 
141011_RBG_227
 
Another new area under construction just inside the wall along Bancroft Road
 
141011_RBG_228_Xanthorrhoea-nana
 
I believe this is one of garden curator Brian Kemble’s Agave colorata × Agave parrasana crosses. The plant to the left of it is Xanthorrhoea nana, one of the Australian grass trees. This dwarf species will form a short trunk (to 2 ft.) over time.
 
141011_RBG_229
 
Trio of Agave parrasana, one of my favorite agave species
 
141011_RBG_241
 
Agave havardiana
 
141011_RBG_244
 
Variegated Agave parryi
 
141011_RBG_247
 
Agave dasyliroides
 
141011_RBG_248
 
Agave havardiana (back) Agave victoria-reginae (front)
 
 
141011_RBG_268
This is the north entrance where the ponytail palms you saw above used to be. Lots of golden barrels (Echinocactus grusonii) now. The Agave parryi var. truncata were being thinned out. Another area I look forward to seeing next spring.

 

In case you didn’t know already: The Ruth Bancroft Garden has a fantastic Tumblr feed. It’s a treasure trove of photos and plant information by Brian Kemble, RBG curator and succulent expert extraordinaire. It’s like getting a different glimpse of the garden with each post.

Comments

  1. What a heavenly place, you've got me second guessing my decision not to visit while we were in the area. You're a lucky man to be so close.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of the things I want to do when I retire (whatever shape or form that might take) is volunteer at the RBG.

      Hey, come visit anytime and I'll take you. Southwest Airlines is having a $49 one way special between Sacramento and Portland!

      Delete
  2. Oh and thanks for the heads up about the Tumbler feed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. We so so want to see RBG in the flesh soon, and your post has reminded us this all over again! Plant sales can be an adrenaline rush especially if there's a sense of competition to get hold of plants in short quantities before anyone else does for fear of missing out. And it's good that you got that out of the way which made strolling through the garden an even better experience.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do get competitive in plant sales, at least until I have what I want.

      I hope you'll make it to Northern California someday soon. I'd love to take you to the RBG.

      Delete
  4. what a cute xanthorrhea. I'd love to find that at one of their plant sales. So glad you attended the sale this year and made a thorough report!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Denise, I would have bought that Xanthorrhea nana in a heartbeat if it had been in the plant sale. I love those inflorescences!

      Delete
  5. Man I sure wish I could have gone. But I got so much done that day. At least I get to see through your great photos.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment