The recent milder weather has got the frogs revving up in both senses of the word. Walking quietly in the garden it sounds as though a couple of bikes are being revved up and already the little pond is half filled with frog spawn.
Trying to get a photo of the frogs is a matter of creeping up the steps and hoping they don't spot me. (Zoom in on the picture to spot 14 frogs.) As soon as one does there is a great commotion and splashing as the frogs dive to the bottom of the pond.
Most years a cold spell, sometimes even snow, in February or March freezes and kills most of the frogspawn but enough survives to keep going from year to year.
It is very windy today with the wind roaring in the trees but there was enough of a break in the rain for me to get outside to do some weeding. Not as much as I would have liked but probably enough for my back. Kneeling down and weeding isn't the problem, it's the standing up and trying to walk afterwards that is so hard. I find weeding very satisfying especially when as today I am working on a scorched earth policy and digging right down to get every root out. I didn't do such a thorough job last year (teaching full-time took up most of my time), and it was too easy for the couch grass to re-establish itself. Hopefully a second weeding in spring before I move some ground cover plants from another part of the garden should keep that patch more garden than field.
Trying to get a photo of the frogs is a matter of creeping up the steps and hoping they don't spot me. (Zoom in on the picture to spot 14 frogs.) As soon as one does there is a great commotion and splashing as the frogs dive to the bottom of the pond.
Most years a cold spell, sometimes even snow, in February or March freezes and kills most of the frogspawn but enough survives to keep going from year to year.It is very windy today with the wind roaring in the trees but there was enough of a break in the rain for me to get outside to do some weeding. Not as much as I would have liked but probably enough for my back. Kneeling down and weeding isn't the problem, it's the standing up and trying to walk afterwards that is so hard. I find weeding very satisfying especially when as today I am working on a scorched earth policy and digging right down to get every root out. I didn't do such a thorough job last year (teaching full-time took up most of my time), and it was too easy for the couch grass to re-establish itself. Hopefully a second weeding in spring before I move some ground cover plants from another part of the garden should keep that patch more garden than field.
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