8 AM May 29, 2015 - Bridge at Naaman School Road and Brand is Impassable.
Believe it or not, with a barricade and a Squad car with flashing lights and a police officer blocking the way, one motorist went around the barricade and drove part way into the water before stopping earlier this morning. Also, unfortunately, according to a report by one of our neighbors at the scene, a couple were swept away in their car earlier this morning at about 3am. I understood from a neighbor they have found the car but not the couple.
Bryan Bradford, Garland's City Manager was on the scene at about 7:30 this morning. Mr. Bradford became our City Manager on May 1 of this year. He has served our city well in many roles including Assistant City Manager, Director of Organizational Development, Managing Director of Budget and Research, and Senior Managing Director. We are lucky to have such a community-minded caring person as one of our city leaders.
The leadership of the City of Garland at all levels is dedicated to minimizing the loss of life and property associated with flooding events.
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Damage at the Garland Community Garden
Of course at daybreak I had to go down to survey the damage. I"m happy to report that so far it is minimal. The worst damage is in the lowest lying area of the garden behind the Children's Garden. So far all of the bed of the children's garden is still above water and the plants which were installed only a few days ago are still safe and above the water (blackberry bush, spinach, strawberries and various flowers).
The flood plain is located on the north and west side of the creek. The Garland Community Garden is located on the east and south side of the creek. While a tiny part of the flood plain is on this side of the creek too, most of the flood plain that shoulders the burden of the flood waters is not located on the garden side of the creek.
Two Scenes Children's Garden Garland Community Garden 7:30 am May 29, 2015
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Life in the Garden Continues to Move Forward
May 28, 2015 – The Beginning of a Hugelkultur at the Garland Community Garden
[Note: Hugelkultur was untouched by flood waters this morning- May 29, 2015.]
We are beginning a yearlong experiment with a Hugelkultur at the Garden. Most large commercial Hugelkulturs are made by digging out a hole about three feet deep, and filling it three feet high with rotten logs, branches, untreated wood, manure, leaves, and then piling about a 10 inch layer of soil on top. The beds are ideally six feet deep in order to be self-contained. Although still water conserving, beds that are shallower will still need to be watered from time to time.
They can also be made on top of the existing soil and this is the method we have chosen because it is sustainable. (Digging holes with bobcats is not sustainable because of the energy required to dig the holes.)
Our Hugelkultur Blackberry Experiment
Our experiment has several layers and goals:
- To test/prove the value of Hugelkultur gardening method.
- To provide another example of the commercial value of the Blackberry as an urban crop in Garland.
- To promote growing blackberries in Garland.
We will grow ten blackberry bushes in our Hugelkultur. In late May of 2016, we will count the blackberries on the bushes. At an average of two blackberries to the ounce we will estimate the total poundage for the bed.
Next we will contract with local restaurants to supply them with fresh, organic blackberries. [Blackberries as a food product can appear in many forms on the table: soups, sauces for turkey and chicken, fresh on top of cereal, in pies and cobblers, etc.] We will pick and deliver the berries. At the end of the experiment we will publish a report on the results.
Among our other promotional programs for the blackberry our members are growing as many as possible in pots to give away and to sell as fund-raisers. We hope to be able to provide as many as ten bushes to every Garland school that wants them for their schoolyard.