PLOP right into the pond.  I think I saw Mr. Big Frog just shake his head….

Since we’re starting to get our ponds ready for the winter now is also a good time to create a place for those frogs we’ve watch grow from tadpoles this summer.  You may want to put a tray, such as a kitty litter tray in the bottom of your pond with sand in it.  This will give the frogs a place to bury themselves over the winter.  Sometimes if you have a filter box or skimmer they may camp out there so be sure that your pump intake is protected so they don’t get stuck in it.  I’ve opened my skimmer early spring and had them jump out.  If you have muck in the bottom of your pond they will also bury themselves in there.  Its nature so frogs will find a way to survive over the winter.

shoveling snow….ugh.  Just when you think the winter is coming to a close, mother nature says hold on I”m not finished yet with winter.  We just had another 6 inches of snow and some ice.  Its back to feeding the birds and wondering what happened to those robins I seen a couple weeks back.  They thought too the winter was almost over.  Although I will say its awfully pretty out!

At least our friends in the south are starting to enjoy their spring and ordering their pond plants for their ponds.  So I can talk with them with envy while helping to select their pond plants.  Meanwhile all I can do is look out at my pond and think about what to do different this year and anticipate being out there working before long.

Lotus are one of my favorite pond plants so I was thinking about adding another pond to my backyard that would only be lotus.  They are easy to grow and wouldn’t require much up keep.  I thought if I dig (have my husband dig that is) a small area beside one of my flowerbeds I could plant several lotus in it and they would bloom all summer long without any work other than fertilizing them.  I’ll share the pictures with you when they bloom.

So while some are starting to enjoy the nice weather the rest of us can look at the pictures and think about what is coming soon.

What great weather we have had here in Ohio the last few days. Such a relief to have all the snow and ice melted and behind us for now. I’m trying to not get too exited. A cold front is approaching and we will be back to freezing this weekend. Nice while it lasted though. The pond is completely thawed and I was able to see my fish hanging out at the bottom. It appears everyone made it. I did notice a dead frog, sometimes they make poor choices as to where to spend the winter. Hopefully, the rest were smarter than that little fella. Except for the rather large bullfrog I had last fall. I really hope he did not survive, caught him snacking on a little frog…..I know it is survival of the fittest in nature, but to eat your own kind is just plain unacceptable in my opinion.

Resting on the pond waterlily

Its such a great life for the frogs….sitting on the lily pads basking in the sun. Could life be any better????  These pictures were shared by one of our customers who received these tadpoles in the spring and now they are frogs enjoying the life in their new home.  Thank you again for sharing your pictures.

Just another benefit that a pond can provide for our enjoyment and relaxation.  Plants, boulders or fallen logs provide good sunny resting areas for frogs, dragonflies or turtles to take a breather. 

 Now that winter is approaching another good idea for those having frogs in their ponds is to provide a hiding place for the winter.  If you need you can create an area for them by placing a container in your pond filled with sand.  This will give the frogs a place to bury themselves for the winter.  Make sure its deep enough so that if your pond freezes over it will be beneath the ice.  Always leave an open space in your pond to provide oxygen for your friends.

 Checking out my flowers…this guy has been busy all morning going from one flower to another.  I was lucky to get a couple pictures even though he is mighty fast. While I was sitting there relaxing after pulling a few weeds that manage to appear overnight he flew around me making sure he didn’t miss a single flower.  Busy little guy.

Not only is he busy….but the vegetable garden is getting way ahead of me. The tomatoes are in abundance.

I managed to get several quarts of spaghetti sauce put up.  Now a few days later I have another bushel of tomatoes to do.  But when I put the jars on the shelves I know I’ll enjoy the work this winter when we’re eating it.  Don’t they look nice? 

I always spend a few hours on Sunday with my spinning friends and Susan was nice enough to share some fresh mozzarella cheese with us.  That sure tasted great late Sunday afternoon with fresh Roma tomatoes and fresh bread. 

If anyone is interested in knitting Anne from the Knitspot  is one of my favorite designers and also a great friend.  We enjoy our Sunday mornings together spinning ,chatting….mostly laughing.  There are four of us.  Now that the ponding is winding down for the year until spring I’ll be busy knitting and spinning….good therapy for the winter months.   I can’t wait on Anne’s new patterns coming out soon….a vintage shirt sweater I’m dying to knit.  The yarn is Sunna from Spirit Trail Fiberworks, its a dream to touch!

Tomorrow’s another day and more tomatoes….its tomato juice and salsa next.  The Rain Lilies are finally starting to bloom.

I spent hours weeding our vegetable garden yesterday as I had neglected it for a couple weeks.   I can’t understand why the weeds seem to grow overnight.  Other than throwing them in the compost what other need do we have for them? 

But I did pick a nice batch of tomatoes.  Now its time to start working putting them away for the winter.  I enjoy canning almost as much as I enjoy my pond.  And there are so many ways to can tomatoes that can be enjoyed all winter long, that is if you don’t eat most of them while your picking…..

Then as I was wondering about in the garden I got caught up in the wonders of nature.  I like nothing better than watching the dragonflies, butterflies and yes the bees frolic around the garden.  Its my favorite time of the year.  I tried to get a picture of a hummingbird but they are so quick he didn’t give me time to click….

Blue Herons are territorial. If they see another bird at your pond, they will simply move on to another pond for their next meal. Our life-like statue is decorative and will help keep other herons away. Just make sure you move it periodically, or the real birds get wise to the fact that it is fake!

I normally will plant my bluebells at the pond’s edge near the bog butterfly or water hibiscus to create a bushy colorful area.  This is another water plant that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds in your garden.

Buy bluebells, Ruellia brittoniana here.

This hibiscus will grow 6 – 9 feet high and 3 – 6 feet wide.  Plant it in sun to part shade but it prefers sun.  It needs moist soil or water to 4 inches deep.  You can winter it over by bringing it indoors or covering it with heavy mulch. 

This is another bog plant that is a favorite of the hummingbirds and butterflies.