Stop by!
1552 Bancroft Road
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Wednesday | 9:30am – 12:30pm
Every Wednesday*, one of our Landscape Designers will be in the Nursery to help you with your quick design questions.
Please note, meetings are up to 10 minutes to accommodate all visitors. Customers needing more time should sign up for a consultation via our inquiry form. Designers will not be able to draw up plans or design garden beds during Designer in the Nursery meetings.
*Some Designer in the Nursery sessions may be canceled due to special events. Please look to our website and social media for announcements on cancelations.
Cricket R.
Design Services Director
Plant centered design is the focus of all of Cricket’s work at the Garden. Either through designing gardens or giving workshops, educating people on the beauty, diversity and sustainability of climate appropriate planting while creating beauty is always her goal. “Your garden should look good, feel good and do good. If we’ve accomplished those three things, then we’re successful” Cricket has an AA in Landscape Architecture from Merritt College, a BA in History from UC Santa Cruz, and an MA in Broadcast Journalism and Near Eastern Studies from NYU.
Nikki V.
Senior Designer
Nikki is a landscape designer that specializes in creating beautiful, functional spaces that feel lush but use low water. She also has extensive experience in fine gardening and aesthetic pruning. She enjoys working on plant-focused designs, learning what clients want out of their garden, and developing creative, sustainable solutions. Prior to this, Nikki spent many years in the nonprofit sector, providing fundraising, marketing and creative support. She has an AA degree in Landscape Architecture from Merritt College and a BA in Communication Studies from UNCW.
Becky P.
Associate Designer
It was living in urban spaces where Becky started her passion for low water gardens and design. While transforming her own “blank slate” garden in San Francisco, she experienced the immediate impact of greening her neighborhood through street tree plantings and doing tree care as a volunteer. Before joining the RBG team, Becky was a researcher and did garden maintenance and design. She believes designing with climate adapted plants sets clients up for success and ground gardens with a sense of place. Becky has an AA in Landscape Architecture from Merritt College, and a BA in Media Studies from the University of San Francisco.
Kate N.
Associate Designer
Garden making and growing professionally in the Bay Area for over fifteen years, Kate has learned, plants are powerful. As a designer, she believes that beauty and resilience go hand in hand, working with clients to realize their low water garden aspirations. Before coming to Ruth Bancroft Garden, Kate was the Horticulture Manager at Filoli gardens in Woodside. She studied Landscape Architecture at Merritt College, earned an MA in Museum Studies at the University of Washington and a BA in Biology at Boston College.
