Whirlwind Visit-The Ruth Bancroft Garden.
I arrived at the Ruth Bancroft Garden within a few minutes of the members only 9am opening time for the annual fall plant sale on an October Saturday. The parking lot was already full, so I parked on the residential street around the corner and walked in from there. This sale has exploded in popularity , having once consisted of a leisurely stroll around a couple of tables of plants at the entrance folly, to this years modestly frenzied atmosphere with traffic attendants and cash only express check-outs, no doubt fueled by the continued rise in demand for succulents and xeric plants. Strategic planing is now required for both attendees and organizers. My strategy always involves taking advantage of the early opening time to take photos in the garden under the superior pre-10am lighting conditions . October with its warm slanty light is particularly fine for this, and the majority of the early shoppers head for the sale leaving the garden relatively empty. I wish I'd had more t