It’s safe to say that when Ruth Bancroft (born in 1908) started her dry garden in 1971 at the age of 63, she had no idea that it would become a major source of inspiration for countless homeowners and attract visitors from all over the world. Initially, all she wanted was to finally put her potted succulents in the ground. But what she ended up creating ushered in a new era of water-wise gardening.
Ruth had been an avid gardener since moving to her husband’s family orchard in 1939 and started a traditional garden around the main house in 1950 (think bearded irises and roses). Her interest in succulents began a few years later with the purchase of a single potted aeonium (Aeonium ‘Glenn Davidson’), descendants of which are still growing in the garden. This marked the start of a significant collection of potted succulents (more than 2,000) that she grew in greenhouses.
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| Ruth Bancroft in 2004 at age 96. © Saxon Holt/PhotoBotanic 415-898-8880 |
The pivotal moment for the creation of Ruth’s celebrated dry garden came in 1971. After the last orchard on the family property was removed, her husband, Philip, offered her three acres to create a new garden for her expanding succulent collection. There was only one condition: she would have to make do with whatever water the existing well provided. What a stroke of serendipity that Ruth’s succulents didn’t need much water! With the assistance of renowned local nurseryman and garden designer Lester Hawkins she began to design and plant the dry garden that would eventually attract global attention.
In 1988, financier and garden enthusiast Frank Cabot and his wife Anne visited Ruth’s garden and were profoundly impressed. When they learned that there were no formal plans to preserve the garden for future generations, Anne Cabot suggested the creation of an organization dedicated to saving significant American gardens. This led to the formation of the Garden Conservancy in 1989, with Ruth’s garden the conservancy’s first project.
When the Ruth Bancroft Garden (RBG) officially opened to the public in 1992, Ruth was 84 — an age when most people would think of taking it easy. Not Ruth. She worked in her garden day in and day out until she was well into her 90s. And even after she laid down her trowel, she was able to follow the evolution of her garden for another decade and a half. She died in 2017, three months after celebrating her 109th birthday.
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| Alice Kitajima and Cricket Riley with their book |
In March 2021, at the height of Covid, Cricket Riley, head of landscape design services at the RBG, and Alice Kitajima, program director in charge of education, launched the Dry Garden Design Certificate Program. Designed for homeowners and professionals, it teaches participants how to create sustainable, low-water gardens using climate-appropriate plants. Earning a certificate involves a combination of required and elective courses as well as a final design project.
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| At Cricket’s garden party in celebration of the book launch |
The curriculum of the Dry Garden Design Certificate, which focuses on the garden’s pioneering methods and covers topics like botany, design principles, and plant selection, forms the basis of Cricket and Riley’s book
Designing the Lush Dry Garden: Create a Climate-Resilient Low-Water Paradise, published on September 30, 2025 by Timber Press. Drawing on the groundbreaking work done at the RBG, the book is as a masterclass in the principles of xeriscaping, challenging the notion that dry gardens are sparse or barren and instead showing how to achieve a vibrant, layered, and lush aesthetic using drought-tolerant plants. Rather than being academic and dry (haha, get it?), the book translates the practical design methods and horticultural knowledge from the RBG into actionable advice for home gardeners. This makes it an essential resource for gardeners in arid or summer-dry climates who want to create stunning, resilient landscapes that are both ecologically responsible and visually appealing.
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The first half of the book covers a wide range of topics essential for successful dry gardening and guides the reader from initial inspiration to practical implementation. The central idea is that a garden with low water needs can be just as rich in texture, color, and form as a traditional water-intensive garden. Cricket and Alice emphasize smart plant choices and thoughtful design to create a thriving ecosystem that is both beautiful and sustainable.
The book is explicitly focused on climate resilience, addressing the challenges of gardening in an era of unpredictable weather and increasing drought by providing strategies to create gardens that “fare well in troubling times [and] inspire awe and wonder.”
The book delves into fundamental design concepts such as creating structure, layering plants, and using color and texture to build a dynamic and cohesive garden. Stunning photographs from the RBG and private gardens illustrate these principles in practice.
Cricket and Alice offer hands-on advice on everything from soil preparation and planting techniques to efficient irrigation and ongoing maintenance and provide clear, actionable steps to help gardeners succeed.
About 50 pages are dedicated to showcasing a proven selection of plants that perform well in dry conditions. The list goes beyond the typical succulents and cacti to include a diverse range of trees, shrubs, perennials, ground covers, and vines that offer year-round interest.
The book also acknowledges the monumental contributions made by Brian Kemble. He started to work for Ruth in 1980 and just celebrated his 45th year at the garden. After Ruth died in 2017, Brian, as the garden curator, became the keeper of her legacy, guiding the evolution of the garden while making sure that it remains consistent with what Ruth would have wanted.
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| RBG garden curator Brian Kemble |
The second half of the book features in-depth portraits of 17 home gardens in California designed by professionals and homeowners who have adapted Ruth’s vision to meet the specific needs of their own spaces. Written by Kier Holmes and photographed by Caitlin Atkinson, these examples, which differ widely from each other and from the RBG, demonstrate that Ruth’s principles are a flexible framework, not a strict formula. This empowers everyday gardeners to create climate-resilient sanctuaries of their own.
(At this point, I'd like to mention that although photographers often take a backseat, without their contributions, a book like this would be far less impressive. Caitlin Atkinson's remarkable images make the featured gardens and plants come alive.)
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| RBG garden director Walker Young’s garden, one I’d love to see in person |
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| Max and Justin Cannon’s garden |
Among the showcased gardens is one designed by my friend Mat McGrath; it’s beautiful, but I wish it had been his one-of-a-kind personal garden instead (
here and
here). In addition, while I realize that each book has limitations imposed by circumstances (and the publisher), I wonder if the geographic scope could have been widened because Ruth’s legacy resonates far beyond the borders of California.
But those are minor niggles, and subjective to boot. They take nothing away from what is a comprehensive and authoritative guide that is both aspirational and accessible as well as beautifully designed and photographed. Designing the Lush Dry Garden is an essential addition to any gardener’s library, especially for those navigating the challenges of a changing climate — and isn’t that all of us?
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| Just a couple of the lines I underlined for myself |
Designing the Lush Dry Garden: Create a Climate-Resilient Low-Water Paradise was published by Timber Press. It’s available from all the usual sources, including your local independent bookstore,
Amazon, and directly from the
Ruth Bancroft Garden. While Cricket and Alice are no longer with the Ruth Bancroft Garden, they have donated their proceeds from the book to the garden.
© Gerhard Bock, 2025. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.
Thanks for the review, Gerhard. Now I'm ready to jump into the book!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to know more about this book, Gerhard. Thanks for sharing about it!
ReplyDelete