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

[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:-)