You've arrived at last - I've been waiting!
Pondlife moments, part one
A restless night’s sleep fueled by tossing and turning led to a pitch-black wander into my kitchen for a glass of water and a stretch. I felt the need for fresh air, to reset and find that moment in nature when all is still.
As I opened my back door I heard a low rumbling sound that at first was confusing. Was there an intruder in the garden? Did someone have some sort of machine on? I listened for a while longer and then I realised the rumble was a low, gentle croak…they had returned. The frogs were back in my wildlife pond and were getting ready for the annual miracle that they have been presenting me for over twenty years. Tonight was the start of it - the call of the gathering. The frogs are waking up from their winter slumber and making the pilgrimage to the pond where they probably started life from.
Listening even closer in the still night’s air, it sounded like a lone frog at this stage, croaking for all his might as if to say “it’s time, come join me, I’m waiting”. He wasn’t the only one waiting. It is very late in the year for the frogs to arrive, in previous years the frogs have appeared as early as January, so I have to admit I was getting a little anxious that they would be making an appearance at all. We had cleared the pond of the last of the leaves and debris that had fallen in during the recent storms. I worried that we had left that job too late. But no nature, as always, knows when the time is right.
Lifelong lesson
The pond was the very first thing created in my garden one sunny April weekend the spring after we arrived. I have always loved frogs. I had one who came to visit me when I was a child…I called him Muton (mew-tun). He had a lime green skin and was quite speckly. I got to see him up close regularly, he was incredible. I fed him worms which he devoured. I know some people hate frogs, thinking they are ugly, slimy, very jumpy and unpredictable. But Muton was one of natures many lessons I learnt, that beauty and popularity is no reason for real connection.
I am in awe of their lifecycle.
It is honestly one of the highlights of my nature year. Now I have heard one, the anticipation of hearing and seeing more is gripping. When will that be? How long do I have to wait before I see the first blob of frogspawn? I’ll keep you posted on the next installment of my pondlife.
If you fancy trying to create a wildlife pond for yourself it is not as complicated as you might think. Here I share my experiences of what I did to encourage the frog population into my garden. I have a main pond but I also created a small “pondlet” near the main one. The wildlife visit it regularly including the frogs.
How to build a tiny pond
You will need:
A small container such as a sink, a planter with no holes, a bucket. These can be sunk into the ground or layers of pots can be built up around it so wildlife can get out when they need to. Position it in a sunny part of the garden
Put a layer of sand in the bottom of the container
Add a layer of shingle
Then place bricks or pebbles within at different heights
Fill the pond up with tap water or rain water from a water butt
Place some oxygenating plants into the water and then some pond plants like waterlily whose leaves float on the water and provide some shade.
And wait……
It may go a little slimy at first but it will find its balance. When the first frog appears I hope it brings you as much joy as my first frog did. It has chosen you and the habitat you created, what a privilege.
Some safety considerations:
Don’t forget to place a ramp in the pond in case animals, such as hedgehogs, accidentally fall in.
If small children are around, supervision is necessary at all times. A sturdy safety net will provide some protection. A “how to keep safe around the pond” conversation with older children will be beneficial too.
Good luck!
I am curious
Do you have a pond? If so what type of wildlife have you seen in and around it?
Let me know if you feel inspired to create a pond.
I constructed a small wildlife pond in my garden. I know from experience that any water feature will attract wildlife. That is, apart from mine. I might see the odd insect hovering over the water but that's it. Perhaps there is life lurking at the bottom.
We had a pond in one house with lily pads. When the tadpoles hatched my dream of seeing a frog on a lily pad came true. It was tiny but unmistakably Frog!