Amphibians & Reptiles 2021

6x2 sounds great, Gaynor. The benefits of a raised bed (including the not having to get back up) are also that the soil heats up much quicker in the spring so you can plant a bit earlier than you would in the ground.

Of the two smaller raised beds I have, I rotate the Butterfly bed to one or the other.

Always a good idea to plant different crops each year in different beds to help prevent crop specific diseases/problems.

With me building the big new bed this year, I’ll plant the Butterfly Cabbages in the other bed from last year, and I plan to do my Potatoes in last year’s Butterfly bed, instead of in bags as I normally do.

I also have a small raised bed (approx. 6ft x 18 inches) which I grew lettuces in last year. I think I’ll do Spring Onions in that one this year.

We also keep old Trifle or Ice Cream containers which we poke a few holes in and plant wee lettuces or Rocket leaves in. Once they get going I’ll hand a few around to the neighbours which is always nice.

I’ve not done Peas for a few years now. The first time I done them, although I had lots of plants, when we harvested them we only ended up with a good pot full.

In future years we just ate them from the plant on the passing. Much more rewarding than using a full harvest for one good dinner. :-)

Apologies to Hazel for hijacking her thread.  :-/

I’ve added a Froggie photo from the other day in the hopes of redressing the balance.  (O)_(O)

Had closer look at mine today & eggs have changed from round to elongated so hopefully not long to hàtch!

Some great info there Paul,, plenty for me to digest.

Keep looking out for tadpoles, but haven't seen one since the other day, and all the frogspawn has sunk, it has been so cold I think they have had it I'm afraid.

Froggies croaking in the pond last week. :-)

My frogs here stopped croaking before this last weekend ... the first three batches of spawn have hatched into a seething wriggly mass of tiny tadpoles!

In spite of photographing lots of frogs spawning, I never heard one croak! Not seen a tadpole yet. Can you keep the diving beetles off them this year??
PS the toads came out today. Photos to follow eventually....

Luckily not seen any Diving beetles or Newts so far this year, think tadpoles more likely to harm each other when they turn carniverous although I feed them special food to try & counteract this!

I've not seen or heard one frog in our garden for a long time.

My guess is due to the netting over the pond to protect the fish from predators.

Unknown said:

PS the toads came out today. Photos to follow eventually....

Here they are, then ...

I've been checking known spots and this week I spotted a pair. Further investigation revealed the area was rife with singles.

It wasn't the best location as I was looking into the light and if I moved to get better light I only got a view of the back of their heads! It was also a steep bank so I was struggling to get the best angle. However, this shot does show the glands behind the eyes that release the noxious stuff they are famous for

After a while I continued on my way ... and found even more in another pond. This was more to my liking, i.e. I could lay on the ground with the camera poking through the reeds and wait for them to come to me. I reckon there were 30 or 40 within a few yards of me.

Why is it that Froggies is a nice term but Toadies doesn't sound so good??

This one has unusually green eyes and especially the left one.

I find this next one quite humorous - doesn't he look just too fed up! Can't even be bothered by the stick resting on his head.

Mirror, mirror, who has the prettiest eyes of all ... I do!!

Controversial, maybe, but I genuinely think our toads have the most fabulous eyes. Look at that, like molten bronze

It's quite satisfying lying by a pond and getting close to the toads. I fully recommend it!!

Great toadies Nigel! The local marsh frogs have been croaking the last couple of evenings, must be spring coming.