The art passages exhibit, "A Garden in Time: The Ruth Bancroft Garden Legacy" was on display from October 14 through to December 4 2008 in the Contra Costa County Administration Building at 651 Pine Street in Martinez. 

Sponsored by The Ruth Bancroft Garden Inc., this exhibit traces the history of The Garden while providing insight into the extraordinary life of Ruth Bancroft, and the story behind her legacy.  The Garden, which has prospered under the care and guidance of Ruth Bancroft and her fellow stewards, has been lovingly preserved through photographic images of its past and painted artworks representing the flora nurtured through the years.  Artists that have visited the garden are mesmerized by the garden design, and return time and again to create the stunning artworks that are shown in this exhibit.  Works inlcude plein air paintings, photography, and handmade paper made of iris leaves from Mrs. Bancroft's private stock. Participating artists are: Robert Chapla, Ruth Hussey, Sandra Imperatori, Eunice Kritscher, Karl Mondon, Francis Palermo, Leroy Parker, Ken Perkins, Laurie Shapely, Q. Stone, Ruth Stanton, Lynda Serduke, and Joe Summerhill. 

Brief History of the Ruth Bancroft Garden
Hubert Howe Bancroft, noted western scholar, moved his family to Walnut Creek in the 1880s, planting pear and walnut orchards on 400 acres of land below Mt. Diablo.  Grandson Philip took over the farming operation in the 1940s.  His wife Ruth, an avid gardener since her childhood in Berkeley, began to develop gardens around the house in the early 1950s.  Mrs. Bancroft also started a collection of potted succulents she had found while traveling to southern California.  As the farming operation phased out in the late 1960s, Philip, seeing that his wife's collection was outgrowing the greenhouses, suggested she plant her succulents in the now-cleared walnut orchards.  Mrs. Bancroft welcomed the opportunity to create a dry garden on 3 1/2 acres of land.  In 1972, garden designer Lester Hawkins was hired to lay out the framework for this garden, with mounded beds and meandering paths. Mrs. Bancroft began designing her masterpiece by combining, arranging and planting the many specimens from her collection.  She was 64 years old when she started this project.   For more information about The Ruth Bancroft Garden go to the website -  www.ruthbancroftgarden.org - or visit the Garden at 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek, CA.