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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An afternoon at Cistus, talking about the Portland Botanical Gardens

I spent the afternoon of October 6th out on Sauvie Island at Cistus Nursery and Rancho Cistus (home of Sean Hogan and Preston Pew) touring, visiting with other plant people, and hearing the latest on how the planned Portland Botanical Gardens are progressing.

The weather was magnificent, I think Mother Nature was blessing the event.

I walked Sean and Preston's home garden first, this photo and the above are from the desert island bed at the end of the driveway and just in front of their home.

The entrance to the home's front courtyard...

On the front porch...

Marcia Donahue's work.

Yucca and Cheilanthes tomentosa (I think), what's not to love?

Working my way around the side of the home now, there are a few gigantic containers.

I remember when they first moved out to the island and this was all open, Sean made quick work of filling things in.

Creatures were a buzzing around the blooming Schefflera delavayi.

Verbena and eryngium.

Seedling eryngium starting to work their way across the pathway.

The crevice garden...

Aloiampelos striatula / Aloe striatula was wiped out all over town thanks to last winter's extended cold. How nice to see them again.

Acanthus sennii, bloom slightly expired.

Hesperoyucca whipplei fireworks, with a Chris Dixon crevice garden in a pot (yet to be planted up). 

Walking back towards the house, looking over my shoulder...

Time to go join the party.

There was a presentation on where things stand with the proposed location for the garden. This graphic was my most interesting take away, comparing the proposed site here in Portland with other botanic gardens, from Kew to the Denver BG, New York BG, and our local Leach BG.

It is so exciting to think this project could (will?) actually happen. It's such a missing piece, that we do not have a public garden like this in Portland. I scanned the hand out we were given, if you're curious to learn more. Click on the image and you can make it larger.

Of course if you want to donate to the effort there's a page for that, click here.

After the event wrapped up I (naturally) walked thought the nursery proper...

Agave ovatifolia 'Vanzie'

Agave 'Ruth Bancroft' (sharkskin)

What did I buy? Just a couple things. A nice Opuntia x 'Beaver Rita' for a container project I'm working on, and a beautifully variegated Pyrrosia lingua 'Ogon Nishiki' to fill an empty driveway container over the winter.

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All material © 2009-2024 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.