Peaceful spot in west Folsom worth a visit
Folsom has no gardens represented this year on the Gardens Gone Native Tour on Saturday, May 3, but there is one Folsom site that could easily be added to anyone’s itinerary focused in the northeastern part of Sacramento County.
new landscaping.
The Hinkle Creek Nature Center at 7000 Baldwin Dam Road has a brand-new pollinator garden — 85 percent of which is California native plants. The landscape designer, Laura Schaub of Ranch Handy Design, took on the redesign of a neglected “water conservation demonstration garden” outside the nature center. Except for huge mutabilis (butterfly) rose bushes near the street, some western redbud trees and a legacy valley oak that towers over the building, most of that garden was long gone.
What now fills the spaces around the nature center (formerly a decommissioned fire station) are excellent examples of landscaping with California natives. The plants are still small, of course, but include a blue oak, manzanita, hummingbird sage, ceanothus, toyon, deergrass, yarrow, bush monkey flower and California fuchsia. Additional plantings are in the works. The new non-natives are pollinator favorites: rosemary and lavender.
New steps and pathways allow for accessibility and easy viewing (and sniffing) of the plants.
The garden relandscaping was funded by an American Rescue Plan Act grant and installed by Terracare Associates.
The nature center is not staffed at present, so a peek inside isn’t possible, but there is another reason to visit: The Hinkle Creek Nature Area, which is just across the road and which this time of year has wildflowers and other plants in bloom.
Hinkle Creek Nature Area’s trail.
The mostly shady area features an easy 1-mile loop that runs over and along burbling Hinkle Creek. During a walk along the trail, Schaub, who lives in nearby Orangevale, pointed out a beaver dam and said the beavers can be heard and occasionally seen.
The Hinkle Creek Nature Center and Nature Area are located just off Folsom-Auburn Road and just south of the entrance to Folsom’s Lew Howard Community Park. There is parking on both sides of the road at the center. Dogs on leash are welcome on the trail.
