Frogs

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One thing this garden has an abundance of is frogs.

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From day one we were fnding frogs in the garden. We went to sleep to the sound of frogs from the next door's pond and the very first visitor in the house (except for the scorpion in the toilet) was a gorgeous frog. It was half way up a door frame, desparately trying to be invisible to the three cats. The house had been empty for a few months and it probably thought that the house was a safe refuge.

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As we started restoring the garden and using water like we were never able to in our drought ridden garden in a previous life, more frogs came to take up residence. The most common frog is a small brown one. We often dig up a patch of garden, especially in the veggie patches, and what we thought was a clump of dirt will hop away. They are only 3 - 4 cms big and we find them in the strangest of places.

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We have large green rubbish bins to collect water of the green house. They live in these. We keep plastic tubs in the green house. They live in these. The paving stones stacked around the veggie patch have holes in them. They live in these. Perhaps the most random place I have found one of these small frogs was in my mini seed germinator. It had managed to trap itself in overnight. The dirt all over the perspex was evidence of its futile attempt to escape. I found it the next morning, resigned to its fate.

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We have also seen larger dark green frogs but they are more rare. We nearly stepped on one that was on dry land on a well used walk way. Hopefully it found its way to water.

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Perhaps the loveliest thing about putting in Amy was giving the thriving frog population a chance to thrive more. Almost overnight the pond came alive with the calls of at least 3 different kinds of frogs. One has the pleasant sound of a very deep burp! Over the year we have seen spawn, tadpoles, froglets and frogs. The sightings are few and far between but the noise is constant. We did get a great view of one when we moved some irises. It's hidey hole disappeared and it didn't quite know what to do.

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Knowing our garden is healthy enough for the frogs to survive gives me joy. Giving them a new water hole to help them thrive gives me great satisfaction.

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