Morse Toad

It's always cause for celebration.  Last Wednesday we spotted half a dozen toads skulking around in the bottom of the pond; shifting plant life and occasional movement in the murky depths gave away their presence.  The following day, Thursday morning,  we were greeted by the most wonderful sight - ribbons of toad spawn draped over old water lily stems and pond plants.

For the next few months our pond will be alive with tadpoles as they feed on the algae and detritus around the edges of the pond.  In July they’ll  exit their aquatic world and the garden will be covered in a small army of toadlets as they make their way into the damp safety of the herbaceous borders and the dry stone walls that border the south side of the Genus garden.

For those that don’t know., toad spawn is distinctly different from that of frogs. Long jellied necklaces dotted in eggy morse code make them unmistakeable (picture). Our pond appears to be quite unique in that we have never had frogs, yet toads abound, a testament to the health of the pond and the environment we’ve created for them.