History, Plants, and Design of a World-Class Dry Garden
Discover the stories, plants, and ideas that make the Ruth Bancroft Garden a global model for waterwise design. This engaging class series invites participants to learn both thru online learning with in-person Garden exploration.
More than a lecture series, this program is an opportunity to build camaraderie and community, connect with fellow garden lovers, and deepen your relationship with this extraordinary landscape.
Program Description
- Four webinars you can watch from anywhere, attend live, or catch the recording later.
- In-person Meet-up with Class Cohort. Explore the Garden at golden hour and receive an orientation to the class and materials.
- Curator-led in-person tour where concepts come to life among the living collections.
- Optional supplemental reading for further learning, including special discounts on The Bold Dry Garden and Lush Dry Garden.
Classes are taught by members of the Garden’s curatorial team, and horticultural staff, offering a range of perspectives and deep, place-based knowledge. While each session stands on its own, the series is designed to be taken as a whole.
Cohort Meet-up at the Garden
Webinar 1: The Origin and Evolution of the Ruth Bancroft Garden
Schedule:
Cohort Meet-up at the Garden
August 14 (Friday) @ 6:30pm-7:30 pm)
Webinar 1: Origins and Evolution of the Ruth Bancroft Garden
August 19th (Wednesday) @ 11:00 AM
Curator-led Tour: History and Highlights of the Ruth Bancroft Garden
August 27 (Thursday) @ 5:00 PM (only included with full series registration)
Webinar 2: The Living Collection
September 16 (Wednesday) @ 11:00 AM
Webinar 3: Design the Ruth Way
October 21 (Wednesday) @ 11:00 AM
Webinar 4: Plant Adaptations in Arid Landscapes
November 18 (Wednesday) @ 11:00 AM
Cost & Registration
Full Series – Members $135, Non-Members $180
While each session stands on its own, the series is designed to be taken as a whole. We will be offering 30 spots for those who would like to go through all the webinars, in-person learning opportunities, and access the materials and discounts. Register for the full series here. Or click on the individual webinars above for an ‘ a la carte’ option.
Register for Exploring the Garden Series
Refund Policy – A registration refund request up to one week prior to the start of the program subject to a 30% cancellation fee. A refund request less than one week prior to the start of the program is non-refundable. The Garden does not issue credits for future programs or events.
Questions? Please reach out to education@ruthbancroftgarden.org
About the Staff
Brian Kemble - Curator
Brian has been at the Garden for 46 years. He worked alongside Ruth in the days before we became a public garden. During his tenure, he has preserved Ruth’s vision while expanding the collection and spearheading the Garden’s expanding educational role. Brian's work for the Garden has included hybridizing aloes, agaves, gasterias and South American cacti. Brian has traveled extensively in Mexico, Madagascar and southern Africa, studying and photographing plants in their native habitats.
Walker Young - Garden Manager
Walker joined RBG in January 2012, studied with both Ruth and Brian and has become a custodian of the Garden’s aesthetic. He preserves, renovates, and rejuvenates Mrs. Bancroft’s beds, with a particular talent for shaping mounds and arranging rocks to frame the plant collection. He also propagates rare succulents, manages the collection, and contributed a cycad collection that adds an important transitional texture to the Garden’s plant palette.
