Much of this water then flows to streets, taking topsoil and causing flooding. Summer heat dries spring-soaked soils, and the lack of rainfall causes drought. This stresses plants and causes hardship for many beneficial insects and birds. Gardeners then start pouring on water from an alkaline city water supply and pay for it, in more ways than one. Build a natural pond and wetland, stock it with fish and Gulf Coast wetland plants, and end much of the flood and drought cycle.
Summer is often the easiest time to build ponds, so now is the time to start digging.
Ronald Jones is a Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service. He is a specialist in the creation and restoration of ponds and wetlands, and is presently working on school gardens all over Metropolitan Houston. It improves plant health, makes the soil more fertile, helps retain water in dry periods and decreases erosion and root rot damage during wet ones. One way to get good compost is to buy it, but an even better way is to make it using garden refuse, yard waste, and the other organic materials that are available free. In this class, you will get hands on lessons in composting.