Frogs are everywhere at Serendipity Gardens. Real frogs, like this one on the rock, and fake frogs, too. They hide in the leaves, they welcome visitors, and they decorate the walls. Here is my story about how I got started with frogs.
Several years ago, I spotted a frog birdbath on sale at Dixboro General Store, a favorite place to buy interesting garden items, and I purchased it for my new grass garden. That stone frog has been there ever since, sturdily holding up its bowl for the avian wildlife.
I told my three daughters then that I”d like to have more frog-related items in the garden, and they have richly fulfilled that wish. I now have several frog statues, a welcome sign with a frog, a boot cleaner on a frog base, and more. I also have 20+ ceramic frogs climbing the wall of The Meeting Place.
The frogs are the reason for the name Frog Jump Enterprises, which is the company that hosts Serendipity Gardens.
Why do I like frogs so much?
Here are a few of my reasons:
- The fake ones add color, ambiance and fun to the garden.
- The real ones are so ugly they are cute.
- The real ones are a sign of a healthy environment.
- The real ones provide the best example of patience I can imagine, as they sit all day waiting for that tasty fly to come their way.
- They also help keep the insect pest population down.
The real ones have predators. In Serendipity Gardens, those are mostly snakes and cranes. The population of frogs goes up and down, yet they always return. They demonstrate how an ecosystem works. However, out in the world, they are in a bit of trouble. Read more about this issue in an easy-to-read and short article entitled The Importance of Frogs.
Right now, in our garden, the frogs are invisible, down at the bottom of the pond, living through the winter in a cold and sluggish state. One of the first signs of spring will be the site of a frog sitting on a rock warming himself in the sun. It’s always good to see my amphibian friends after the rigors of winter, and I am already looking forward to enjoying their company again next summer.
If you were to add a bog or pond that frogs might like to your garden, you could have this pleasure, too.
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