Ralph Ingols, 1911 – 2011, Napa’s Native Plant Gardener

A product of Weed Patch, Kern County, California, Ralph was the youngest of seven siblings. He and wife Evelyne were parents of the ‘Three J’s”, Janet, Jim, and Judy Ingols, to whom they were devoted and who joined them in a lifetime of outdoor activities, which cemented their interest in the environment as well as in education.

While still a young boy, Ralph knew he wanted to become an educator. He was a student of nature all of his life and diligent in his other studies. He graduated from UC Berkeley and San Francisco State and began a 35-year career teaching, coaching and counseling, most of which was spent at St. Helena High School in Napa Valley.
 

Ralph and wife Evelyne were active in the Napa Chapter of the California Native Plant Society and had been using their back yard to propagate native perennials which would be sold at CNPS sales. This is when the Ingols and their friends first began discussing a public garden where visitors could learn about and enjoy California’s flora in protected surroundings.

The idea of a garden as a classroom particularly appealed to the Ingols since both were career educators.
 The couple spent many years traveling California, studying and collecting its native flora and gaining valuable knowledge and background in plant identification and propagation.

By 1985, with the help of conservationist friends, CNPS and the Skyline Citizens Association, they founded the 3-acre Martha Walker Native Habitat Garden located at and became its first curators. Ralph and Evelyn were the driving force behind the new Garden in its beginning years, and he continued as curator emeritus after her death in 2000.

Always his concern was for the future. “Future generations can enjoy what we prepare for them today” was his motto. Today the CNPS Science Docent Program assures that young students who visit the Garden learn about the flora and also the fauna at Skyline.
 
He spoke of the time a hundred years from now when our children’s grandchildren would walk the paths under his favorite trees. He willingly gave whatever he could in energy and resources to the community, and in particular to the Garden. This was his legacy.
 

Ralph continued to make every effort to try new things at a time in life when most people consider their life’s work finished, extending himself to write, plan, organize and plead for help from the community to accomplish worthy goals, and to connect with others in every walk of life in the process.
 
He always spoke warmly of others he respected, whether community leaders, former students, volunteers, or youth, and never missed a chance to encourage others to look into nature or to succeed at something special. In one way or another, Ralph was a mentor to everyone he met. He simply felt that it was within the capacity of each to succeed, and he was capable of convincing generations of students and friends that this was so.

Some of Ralph’s accomplishments in the last 10 years are: The publication of two books for his family; five books (two with co-authors) with proceeds to benefit the California Native Plant Society and the Garden. A few years ago he received the Earl Thollander Conservation Award. The Martha Walker Garden became a World Peace Garden. He attended the celebration of the Garden’s 25^thanniversary in 2010. As a beloved retired educator and counselor at St. Helena High School, he attended as many class reunions of his students as he could until a few years ago.
 

Ralph was planning for the future up until the day before he passed away, still making arrangements for the Garden to benefit in yet more ways through plantings, work parties, and proceeds from his books.

“When people go into the Garden, I want them to see butterflies everywhere,” he said. “I want to plant Dutchman’s Pipevine for them.” 

His friends at Napa Valley CNPS have heard him.  Additional milkweed to attract Monarchs and Pipevine to attract the Pipevine Butterfly are just a few of the flora being dug in now, and the Garden's steering committee is planning a Ralph Ingols Butterfly Trail to be completed this year to honor Ralph's dedication and vision for the garden.
 

We salute you, Mr. Ingols!

A celebration of his life is planned for Saturday, August 20, 10 a.m.-noon under the cool redwood trees in the Martha Walker Garden at Skyline Park in Napa.
Memorial donations may be made to the Martha Walker Native Habitat Garden, Skyline Park, 2201 E. Imola Avenue, Napa, CA, 94558.