It is good to see some more cultivation going on in the Parkway, as humans very often can do a better job, for everyone, by helping nature rather than leaving nature to its own devices.
At park, a new garden sets example
By Dan Nguyen - dnguyen@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, December 2, 2007
The din Saturday morning at the William B. Pond Recreation Area sounded a little more like the gravel operation it used to be than the quiet park it is now.
About 50 volunteers broke into rock-littered soil with shovels and pickaxes to start a garden that will showcase the area's native plant life.
"This is only going to break my lower and middle back," said Gary Stock, 34, after he found a spot of more forgiving ground to dig into.
The plants are as hardy as the soil and have exotic names such as the bush monkeyflower, purple needlegrass and mule fat.
But besides beautifying the location, the native plants are intended to show landowners how to be more environmentally conscious when planning their lawns and landscaping.
"This will demonstrate to people what they can grow with less water," said Leo Winternitz, a board member for the American River Parkway Foundation. "So other than the aesthetic appeal, there is a practical benefit to this."
The nearly 1-acre garden runs along the foundation's Streng Volunteer Center in Carmichael and will accommodate about 50 species of plant life native to a section of the American River that the parkway follows.
