I was clearing a particularly grating Cotoneaster close to the porch the other week. Within this foul overgrown evergreen I found a rough assortment of broken pots, broken garden tools, old breeze blocks - the list went on. It was a few hours work but deeply satisfying to uncover a bed and lovely brick work of the barn.
Nestled in the warmth deep in the tangle and out of the biting February wind was this paticulary smart frog. I released him next to the pond by our gate. He or she was probably hibernating although the unseasonal warm weather appears to have driven out the frogs early. The pond is full of large grape like spawn.
There are two species of frogs in the UK but you are only really going to see the Common Frog. The other species which is the Pool Frog was extinct but then re-introduced into one site in East Anglia. Equally with toads you are only ever likely to see the Common Toad in your garden. The other species the Natterjack Toad is a highly specialized animal adapted to live in amongst sand dunes. The only site I know is near Barrow-in-Furness - and only then from the signs reminding dog walkers to keep their animals on a lead.
The spawn in our pond should have hatched tadpoles by now. It takes a good 4-5 months for the tadpoles to develop legs and then lose their own tails and emerge as little froglets. It would be good to get a tank and net and do some pond dipping - I haven't done that for several decades. Maybe one day if I am lucky I might have grand children in which case the net and tank plan has to be a runner !
Jane met a garden designer at the house recently whose work is beautiful. She the walked the grounds sketching and talking. Her initial plan has a deck next to the pond with a place to sit. I am already dreaming of watching frogs, dragonflies and maybe Newts all day.
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