Designing the Lush Dry Garden: Create a Climate-Resilient, Low-Water Paradise

A must-have guide to dry garden design inspired by the legendary Ruth Bancroft Garden.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden, known as one of the finest dry gardens in the world, is a pioneering example of resilient design with a focus on water conservation. Ruth Bancroft (1908-2017) was a self-taught gardener and designer whose eclectic methods encourage richly textured, bold, and colorful layers of regionally climate-appropriate flowers, shrubs, trees, and succulents. These include her favorite aloes, agaves, yuccas, and echeverias that she collected and experimented with for over 60 years, and which the garden has continued to steward. Designing the Lush Dry Garden is the first guide to lay out Ruth Bancroft's methods for the home gardener and designer. With gorgeous photographs by Caitlin Atkinson, and detailed portraits of 20 gardens inspired by the Garden, discover how to create a design that suits your vision, including:

• How to choose the right plants for your site, including Ruth's favorites
• The appropriate methods for adapting your garden to climate change
• Advice on integrating paths and structures in a waterwise design
• Tips for low-water container gardens and designs

Author: Cricket Riley,Alice Kitajima,Kier Holmes
Publisher: Timber Press (OR)
Published: 09/30/2025
Pages: 296
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.60lbs
Size: 10.10h x 8.60w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781643263731


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 07/01/2025 pg. 71

About the Author
Cricket Riley is a landscape designer who specializes in lush, low-water garden design. She started at RBG in 2017 and held a variety of positions, most recently as the Design Services Director. In this role, she led a team of landscape designers helping homeowners embrace regionally climate appropriate gardens. She was also the primary instructor for RBG's Dry Garden Design Certificate Program, which she co-created with Alice Kitajima in 2020. She has an AA in Landscape Architecture from Merritt College, a BA in History from University of California, Santa Cruz and an MA in Near Eastern Studies and Broadcast Journalism from New York University.
Alice Kitajima's profound connection to gardens and landscape design started at an early age, thanks to the influence of her father, who immigrated to Los Angeles to install Japanese-style gardens.
She has worked at various botanical gardens and arboreta around the U.S. after finishing her forestry and music studies at University of California, Berkeley. As the Program Director at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, overseeing the education department, her greatest passion is connecting and deepening people's connections with plants.

When not digging in her own laboratory-like garden, designing thoughtful gardens for clients, or lecturing on various gardening topics, Bay Area native Kier Holmes is a contributing writer and content creator for Gardenista and Sonoma Magazine. Kier has also contributed to numerous other publications including Martha Stewart, Sunset Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, National Geo for Kids, Edible Marin and Wine Country, and Marin Magazine, plus is the author of The Garden Refresh.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a non-profit, Member supported organization nestled in the suburbs of the East Bay. The Garden itself is the foremost example of garden design with climate-resilient plants. Consequently, it is known as one of the finest dry gardens in the world. The Garden displays an expansive collection of plants that Ruth collected for over 60 years; many of which were in gallon-sized pots or smaller. As a result, every season offers something new in the Garden and visitors find themselves in awe of the boldness, beauty and longevity of Ruth's hard work.