Editor's Note

The OWA 50th Anniversary Gala, held at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, brought out many old members as well as first-time new members. The idea of having various celebrations during each 10th anniversary year is still working well. It is an OWA tradition to have many activities during the year to accommodate our members' schedule and diverse interests. (Although we somehow missed our Bay-to-Breaker run this year).

Having the Gala in Ruth Bancroft Garden was a wonderful choice. It is a world renowned garden created by a woman and the first garden for draught tolerant plants in this country. The garden has inspired many similar gardens around the world.

Ruth Bancroft, born Ruth Petersson from Immigrant Swedish parents, grew up in Berkeley. She enrolled in UC Berkeley in 1926. Her original enrollment was in architecture but when the Wall Street Crash of 1929 with no jobs in the building industry, she decided to get a teaching certificate. She was always interested in plants and nature. When she and her husband Philip Bancroft inherited this 3.5 acres of land from his grandfather, it was her opportunity to create her dream garden.

She was interested in native plants and she was particularly interested in the draught-tolerant native plants in the desert climate of California. The creation of such a garden expressed her conviction about living in harmony with nature. She was way ahead of her time.

More photos of the 50th Anniversary Garden Gala are here