Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Water Features

In a small garden or patio, a water feature isn't always an option. I've investigated wall fountains and bird baths, but my heart is really in having a small pond. In my patio, it's hard to imagine how it can be feasible.

Well... Skipper (the larger of my bullfrog tadpoles) just sprouted his little frog legs. Even though I've read that it takes up to two years for the tadpoles to fully mature, he's going to want to stretch those legs at some point and crawl around (Darwin is alive and well in my kitchen! I should have named one of the tadpoles "Darwin".)

Creating an outdoor habitat for the frogs has now become a priority for me. I have time, as Skipper and Gilligan are still firmly tadpoles, but I want to incorporate something that will accommodate my pets without looking really out of place (or taking up too much room).

I'm considering the area by my compost pile. First, there are always lots of bugs around it, which will be a boon for the boys. Second, it's partly shaded, which will be nice when we get to the summer heat. My cement patio, bordered by a garage wall and a house wall, gets H O T.

So now the next step is to research the type of small pond that will work for the boys. Fortunately they like slime and dirt. I doubt I'll need a filter. I think if I just spray it out every few days we'll be fine.

Once school is out I'll send my big boys out with a shovel to create an environment. I'll post pictures as we go along!

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