Hi there! Bit of a weird question this....

After living in gardenless flats since leaving home I am FINALLY on the verge of renting a house with a small garden! Hooray! I loved gardening as a child and a teenager so it's really great news. My favourite aspect of gardening has always been water-gardening (Charlie Dimmock inspired me!) and I'm keen to create a tub/container pond next spring in the new place.

The problem with all of that is that I have a bizarre but very real fear of frogs. I don't know where it came from, but for as long as I can remember if I saw a frog hopping about on the patio or sitting out of the water in the shade I would run a mile.

So my question really is how high would I need to raise the tub pond up to minimise the chances of frogs getting in? I know nothing can be guaranteed, but I'd like to make it as hard for them as possible. I mean them no ill-will, I just don't want to encounter them!

If it helps the garden in question is in quite an urban area, and I'd be locating the tub pond on the decking by the back door of the house.

Any thoughts are much appreciated, I know it's a bit weird!

Matthew

On 01/08/2013 21:00, Justadmin88 wrote:
Hi there! Bit of a weird question this....

After living in gardenless flats since leaving home I am FINALLY on the
verge of renting a house with a small garden! Hooray! I loved gardening
as a child and a teenager so it's really great news. My favourite aspect
of gardening has always been water-gardening (Charlie Dimmock inspired
me!) and I'm keen to create a tub/container pond next spring in the new
place.

The problem with all of that is that I have a bizarre but very real fear
of frogs. I don't know where it came from, but for as long as I can
remember if I saw a frog hopping about on the patio or sitting out of
the water in the shade I would run a mile.

So my question really is how high would I need to raise the tub pond up
to minimise the chances of frogs getting in? I know nothing can be
guaranteed, but I'd like to make it as hard for them as possible. I mean
them no ill-will, I just don't want to encounter them!

If it helps the garden in question is in quite an urban area, and I'd be
locating the tub pond on the decking by the back door of the house.

Any thoughts are much appreciated, I know it's a bit weird!

Matthew




It's not wierd at all. I understand just how difficult it can make your
life. My best friend has a frog phobia, and I was once terrified of
spiders. Now I love them!

Start by asking your neighbours if they have ponds and frogs. If
they're very local to you, you might see frogs, pond or not. Sorry to
worry you :~(.

Otherwise I think you just have to take the risk. Having a pond in a
tub or barrel is going to make it hard for them anyway. They need a
'beach' or other manageable approach. However, if there are local
ponds, froggie may well wander into your garden. Since they like cool,
damp cover, I suggest you avoid putting any large-leaved plants near
your pond, where they might hide. This is a shame, really, because
ponds look quite good surrounded by large leaves. Nevermind. If you
put your barrel pond on your decking, any plants near the pond will
presumably be in pots also?

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Thu, 1 Aug 2013 22:00:21 +0200, Justadmin88
wrote:


Hi there! Bit of a weird question this....

After living in gardenless flats since leaving home I am FINALLY on the
verge of renting a house with a small garden! Hooray!

The problem with all of that is that I have a bizarre but very real fear
of frogs. I don't know where it came from,
Exactly the same as my neighbour who thinks it stems from incident
when she was about 5 when a slightly older brother put one in her
clothing. I get called to retrieve them from her garden to put in my
Pond from which they probably came and will wander back to her flower
pot stack whenever they feel like it. I mentioned that I seen a small
grass snake around the pond that would eat some frogs but that didn't
go down too well as she doesn't like snakes either.

So my question really is how high would I need to raise the tub pond up
to minimise the chances of frogs getting in? I know nothing can be
guaranteed, but I'd like to make it as hard for them as possible.
They are fairly agile creatures* and I have seen some in our garden
resting on part of a wooden fence 4ft above the ground, though it
most likely climbed vegetation to get there.
Vertical sides of a patio pond greater than 2ft 6" or so they might
find harder.
If it helps the garden in question is in quite an urban area, and I'd be
locating the tub pond on the decking by the back door of the house.
Any thoughts are much appreciated, I know it's a bit weird!
To be honest if you have decking and there is any damp and shade then
you may find them living under that anyway ,possibly Toads instead of
Frogs. Both are amphibians not water creatures and spend a
considerable part of their existence out of water.

* Found a froglet on the seat of the indoors upstairs Loo many years
ago on our farm. It's still a mystery how it got there,the water did
come from a well but it seems unlikely it got through the Lister Pump
and a ball valve. The gauze filter on the intake had fallen off
though.

G.Harman

G Harman wrote ((SNIP))

* Found a froglet on the seat of the indoors upstairs Loo many years
ago on our farm. It's still a mystery how it got there,the water did
come from a well but it seems unlikely it got through the Lister Pump
and a ball valve. The gauze filter on the intake had fallen off
though.


I'm not so sure, a few years ago the large filter for our Koi pond was
awash with tadpoles, it has a tight fitting heavy lid so the only way they
could have got there is through the pump.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Thanks for the replies all, I think what I shall do is just got for it, but make sure the tub has sides over 2ft high! I know this won't guarantee, but it might at least deter.

If they're in the garden then that's that - as long as they're not out and hopping when I'm out pottering I should be okay!

Fingers crossed!!

Try putting a mini-water lily and a goldfish in it, and not too much weed, then it won't be too attractive as a breeding pool.

"kay" wrote


Justadmin88;988994 Wrote:
Thanks for the replies all, I think what I shall do is just got for it,
but make sure the tub has sides over 2ft high! I know this won't
guarantee, but it might at least deter.

If they're in the garden then that's that - as long as they're not out
and hopping when I'm out pottering I should be okay!

Fingers crossed!!

Try putting a mini-water lily and a goldfish in it, and not too much
weed, then it won't be too attractive as a breeding pool.



This shows the sort of water lily you can get to grow in a tub/half barrel
type pond..

http://www.lilieswatergardens.co.uk/?cPath=114_115

and I would recommend Sioux as it changes colour as it ages and is a well
established variety.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Bob Hobden" wrote

"kay" wrote


Justadmin88;988994 Wrote:
Thanks for the replies all, I think what I shall do is just got for it,
but make sure the tub has sides over 2ft high! I know this won't
guarantee, but it might at least deter.

If they're in the garden then that's that - as long as they're not out
and hopping when I'm out pottering I should be okay!

Fingers crossed!!

Try putting a mini-water lily and a goldfish in it, and not too much
weed, then it won't be too attractive as a breeding pool.



This shows the sort of water lily you can get to grow in a tub/half barrel
type pond..

http://www.lilieswatergardens.co.uk/?cPath=114_115

and I would recommend Sioux as it changes colour as it ages and is a well
established variety.

Wrong link, should have been...

http://www.lilieswatergardens.co.uk/?cPath=114_120

although those above would be OK too.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

Good idea! I'm all excited now but I will have to wait until next spring to put all this into action! Damn!

On 02/08/2013 17:08, Justadmin88 wrote:

kay;988995 Wrote:
Try putting a mini-water lily and a goldfish in it, and not too much
weed, then it won't be too attractive as a breeding pool.

Good idea! I'm all excited now but I will have to wait until next spring
to put all this into action! Damn!

Look at it another way, if you have a plague of frogs and you run a mile
from each one, just think how fit you will get.

Belated greetings from K E Y N S H A M, David.

Pam in Bristol

On 03/08/2013 13:53, Pam Moore wrote:
Belated greetings from K E Y N S H A M, David.

Pam in Bristol

Thanks Pam.
Seeing KEYNSHAM spelled out like that reminded me of Horace Batchelors
Infra-Draw Method for the football pools advertised on Radio Luxenbourg.
David

On Sat, 03 Aug 2013 15:00:18 +0100, David Hill
wrote:

On 03/08/2013 13:53, Pam Moore wrote:
Belated greetings from K E Y N S H A M, David.

Pam in Bristol

Thanks Pam.
Seeing KEYNSHAM spelled out like that reminded me of Horace Batchelors
Infra-Draw Method for the football pools advertised on Radio Luxenbourg.
David

yes that's why I did it. You have to be OLD to know about him. At one
time when I gave out my address over the phone if someone said "I know
how to spell that" I replied "you're giving away your age". It doesn't
happen now. They've just done a play about him but I didn't go.

Pam in Bristol

On 03/08/2013 19:06, Pam Moore wrote:
You have to be OLD to know about him

Thank you Pam............

And, sorry, I have to add belated congratulations too. Seems it's
dangerous to miss checking the group for a few days.

May the sunshine at the west end be as warm and bright as at the other
one.

Hwyl

--
Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Wilting just a little at the east end of Swansea Bay.