Frog and Toga

[smokingboot]

Nice surprise today though you might think I'm easily pleased.

Recently slugs have been a real bastard in my garden; they've even had the effrontery to creep up the side of the beautiful herb pot given to me by velvet_the_cat and Dan sans lj, and start noshing on the lovely plants therein. Apart from picking them off by hand (urrgh) I have been at my wits end. Didn't want to use chemicals cos slugs are the mcdonalds of the hedgerow world; song thrushes, hedgehogs, frogs, toads...just about every wee beastie now disappearing from England's green and pleasant land either eats slugs, or eats something that eats slugs. They are disgusting but necessary.

My diffidence has paid off; today I found myself almost nose to nose with a beautiful frog leaping around our garden. It's fully grown, variegated dark and light green, with gorgeous eyes. I love amphibians; the way they metamorphose is real magic. Quickly I built a temporary swimming pool for it, because the day is hot, and froggy might be a bit lost and dry. The almost-pond is the bottom half of an old pump fountain, a big plastic pseudo-half barrel. I put old paving slabs to form a stairway up to its rim, and corporation bricks staggered to make a stairway down into its depths. It looks ridiculous, but I don't know what else to do. Anybody out there know about the care of froggies, give me a shout...I don't want this visitor to go the way of the 240 invetebrate corpses still rotting in my wormery. *shakes head* I never chose to be the Nemesis of the Worm, but you can't fight destiny.

Today, I am wearing a beautiful toga made for me years ago by velvet_the_cat. Those Romans knew how to feel comfortable in the heat, and I don't give a damn what the neighbours think. Ave.

Comments

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

If you want to keep the slugs in your garden yet keep them off the plants, I understand that having half a grapefruit for breakfast then putting the half skin bit out in the garden will mean all the slugs congregate there and don't eat your plants. This has the added advantage of filing froggie's meal somewhere convenient and ensuring you get a healthy breakfast.

PS I'm amazed you find togas comfortable! I think my Odyssey costume was one of the least comfortable things I've ever worn! It's all that having to keep your arms in certain positions to make sure the whole thing doesn't fall in a heap on the floor that does it for me. It's so tiring and restrictive.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I will certainly try the grapefruit idea. Re the toga, this one's really easy - the only problem might be when you wave your arms around too much, the whole world is likely to get a flash of your boobs, especially from the side. But hey, I don't care; I've got rather nice boobs!

Come to think of it...

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I understand you have nothing to be worried about when it comes to your figure;-) Who cares if one's clothes fall off? Huzzah for being a pretty woman!

Curse you Boot!

[bytepilot.livejournal.com]

Now I'll never get any work done.

Revelation

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

*flash*

;-)-8-.>==[

My bellybutton's always been off centre. Don't tell anyone, OK?

[velvet-the-cat.livejournal.com]

Another option, which seems (fingers-crossed) to be working for me is sand. They don't seem to like sliming their way over it. It might be worth putting the pot on a small bed of it (rather than actually in it) so they have to get over it to reach to goodies inside. I've used some left over building aggregate quality stuff I found 'round the back of the garage.

That said, the idea of grapefruit for breakfast is rather appealing!

Oh yes, glad the toga's coming in handy still.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

The toga's been great. I hope to wear it to Oddyssey sometime.

Thanks for the tip re slugs. I still have some chinchilla sand left over. I can see it now; me eating a grapefruit while my spineless foes ooze miserably over the sand, only to turn away, lured towards frog infested peel and certain death.

Sounds like the perfect morning!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Missed out the thank you, so here it is!

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sharp sand, or even better small sharp stones or gravel. Hurts their bellies or something, I dunno. It works though, as it evens suffices to protect my hostas.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I had some organic slug preventative made from eggshells, based on this principle. It worked but it cost a fortune. I'll try ordinary sand/gravel and see what happens.

[scary-lady.livejournal.com]

I used a bag of small sharp edged stones bought from the garden centre - the sort you use to fill in a border and suppress weeds - worked a treat.

[nyarbaggytep.livejournal.com]

As mentioned below beer is great, but is best to bury up to just below the rim a dish with steep sides half full of beer, that way they get in and can't get out. They drown in beer. Which if you have to kill something seems a pretty decent way to go!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Beer, grapefruit peel...these slugs will lead fine lives before they die:-)

[spiraltower.livejournal.com]

[Adds "The Frog and Toga" to his list of really cool names for pubs].

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Apparently there was some apocryphal story about some of Hitler's men trying to work out the code behind British pub names. The masons have a lot to answer for!

[probablyscotty.livejournal.com]

If the frog's there, chances are it's happy enough. Shade, compost heaps, brick piles and the like are plenty for a temporary measure for them. :-)

As for care... don't worry about it. Short of taking it and dropping it in a pond (or building one), there's nothing you can do. It'll move on in its own time.

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

We have brick piles and lots of long grass, plus a shady bit around the corner. Hopefully the little greenback's OK.

Hope he doesn't move on though; I would really like him to stay, provided he's safe from mauling cats.

Beer

[lucyas.livejournal.com]

You can also put a saucer of beer into the garden. The slugs fall in, get drunk and drown. What a way to go! It really works too.

Re: Beer

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Now, the question here is whether or not a can of beer can make it from our front door to our back garden without being waylaid en route!

Re: Beer

[lucyas.livejournal.com]

Oh but a saucer of beer is very little beer - it gives you an exuse to drink the rest :)