It was already hot when the our San Francisco Garden Blogger Fling bus pulled into the parking lot at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek. Being a Northern California gardener I had already been to all of the public spaces we visited during Fling...except for this one. And being a succulent enthusiast I was pretty excited; I was finally checking this garden off my list of must-sees.
As I exited the bus the heat seemed to be ramping up but I began to walk the paths to see what the garden held. My first realization was that there were many more cacti than I had expected. I had only seen a few photos of the garden before this visit and it was much drier and spare looking than the impression I had gotten from those photos.
The more I walked the dry paths the hotter it felt. I suppose the landscaping added to the feeling of being in a desert and we were visiting during a bit of a heat wave. I felt like I was planning my explorations according to which direction promised the most shade.
But despite the heat there was much beauty to be found...and luckily I managed to take photos. Because it was only after I started looking at photos when I returned home that I was able to fully appreciate the beauty in the midst of starkness.
Much of that beauty was sculptural.
But the blooms that were there were amazing. This one deserves a second look!
