More from the RBG; rocks and sexy plant close-ups

We're back for Part Two of my January 2026 visit to the Ruth Bancroft Garden (see Part One here)...

I first heard of the rock/crevice garden at the RBG via Gerhard's blog and a post he wrote last November, then Tracy visited and shared more photos. Their visits left me wondering how exactly the rocks would blend into the garden as a whole, would they look out of place?  

The answer is no, they do not.

They look perfectly at home where they're tucked in, and there are so many details to soak up. These first three photos are of the same area, getting closer and closer to the Mangave 'Praying Hands'.

The different rock shapes and they way they were laid, thin slabs on their sides...

...larger, thicker pieces close together with plantable crevices...

...they all made for really interesting visual texture as your eyes scan over the area.

This addition to the garden is the work of Walker Young, RB Garden Manager. The RBG website says this about Walker: "Walker joined the staff at RBG in January 2012 and since then has come to function as custodian of the Garden’s aesthetic. He acts as point person in the collaborative process of preserving, renovating, and rejuvenating Mrs. Bancroft’s beds, taking particular joy in sculpting undulating mounds and arranging rocks in the Garden to form a unifying backdrop and compositional foil to the Garden’s plant collection." I ran into Walker the morning of our visit and got to chat with him a bit about the process, it sounds like he had a lot of fun putting it all together.

Bromeliad's in a crevice garden!

One small gripe, the white plant labels distract from (and cheapen) the garden, I hope a better system is in the works.

Look at that fabulous rock mound! It looks like it's always been there.

Okay, on to the rest of my photos from that day. I'm ending my coverage with a few random plant close up's that didn't make it into Wednesday's post, but that I didn't want to not use. Names only if I am fairly certain, otherwise, plants as art...

Agave 'Blue Glow'

Agave 'Royal Spine' 

Templetonia retusa and Acacia glaucoptera

The above three photos were of this agave (Mangave?) bloom spike that bent over to ground level. An unusual perspective...

Little baby plants forming within the base of the agave...

Agave nickelsiae

Drying up, bloomed out version.

Leucadendron 'Ebony'

And in the gift shop/nursery, Oxalis palmifrons.

If you have the chance to visit the Ruth Bancroft Garden do it!

The Bit at the End

Check out this variegated loquat from Plant Delights. I can't decide if I love it, or if it's a touch too much.

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My January visit to the Ruth Bancroft Garden

Andrew and I pulled up at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA, around 11:30 in the morning on January 14th. Our visit was part of the trip home from time spent in Thousand Oaks. I was thrilled to be back at this favorite garden, and to have my husband visit for the first time. The weather was absolutely perfect.

Did you spot the Agave bloom spike leaning into the photo above (left upper corner)? Here's the plant the spike erupted from. An Agave franzosinii I believe,

As we walked the garden there was a crew scurrying about removing all signs of the holiday light show they'd had up. I'm not sure if these big white lanterns were part of that or not.

Agave colorata, maybe? Agave colorata x isthmensis, a Brian Kemble (Garden Curator) cross—info thanks to Gerhard.

This is going to be one of those posts where I don't have much to say, so I'm hoping you just soak up the beauty. I'll throw out a name if I'm reasonably certain.

Here's something you don't expect so see at the RBG, moss! Moss on rocks with cactus. There had been rain, fog, and persistent humidity in the period preceding our visit.

Furcraea macdougalii, I believe.

I think this may be Acacia glaucoptera...

Aka clay wattle.

Templetonia retusa

Sonchus canariensis

Ginormous!

The blooming spidery-foliaged shrub is Hakea lehmanniana.

It was alive with buzzing critters.

I managed to get two of them in this shot.

Most of the aloes in the garden were just shy of actually blooming, not that we cared. They were magnificent as they were.

Bloomed out Agave victoriae-reginae.

This visit I managed to skirt the far eastern edge of the garden and see a few things I hadn't in a while.

Like the border fence between the garden and what was Ruth's home.

Yes of course I peeked through the fence.

Deuterocohnia brevifolia making mounds for days...

Another couple agave bloom spikes.

Pausing for a moment and surveying her domain.

The garden's Shade Structure was still enclosed for winter protection.

Euphorbia clandestina

Echium wildpretii

Well, I guess not all of it was enclosed. It was a rather mild winter after all.

Agave perfection! (a particularly lovely A. victoriae-reginae)

The cactus growing in a palm trunk look to have been joined by a couple other things, like a baby Sonchus canariensis.

Dreamy variegated Agave ovatifolia.

Leucadendron 'Ebony'

Agave franzosinii

Banksia fraseri

And just like that, we're back at the beginning. Naturally I couldn't fit all the photos I wanted to share into just one post. On Friday we'll look at the "new" rock garden and some sexy plant close-ups.

The Bit at the End

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To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control. 

All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.