vieja: Don't worry. When we first installed our pond 6 years ago, toads appeared. I knew they were in the garden but never thought twice about how they reproduced. (Actually, I'm still amazed how fast our first frog showed up!) When I first saw two locked together, I thought how cute. I assumed one was a baby and the mom was giving it a ride on its back. I later discovered the larger toads are the females and the males sit on the back of the female while they are making sweet love. ;o) They only mate in the water - after that they return to land. If you caught it early enough you would see what looks like a long, clear piece of plastic tape that has eggs attached to it. If you find that, you can grab it out of your pond and limit the amount of polywogs (toadpoles?!). But don't be alarmed. We freaked out with our first experience with toads. Our pond was FULL and I mean full of eggs. It looked like we had splattered paint on every rock - we must have had thousands. The fish ate many of them. Others got into the yard and disappeared. I think birds got some. The lawnmower got more. We maybe had a dozen or so adults come back the next year. You won't get hundreds of toads. Toads are great for insect control so it's not a bad thing to have some toads around. The noise I can live without. They sound like a sci-fi movie when they get to screaming. That's called "trilling." From what I read, when they trill it means the males are calling to the females or they are claiming their turf. I can't seem to find a definite answer on why they trill during mating season. The babies are fun to watch. They are very, very small at first. I think it's a piece of dirt until it starts hopping away! My dog is also curious about the ones that he finds on the patio at night, but that's about all. They just basically stare at each other.

What a pretty toad. You can encourage them by turning over terra cotta flower pots in shady place, leaving stick under the lip so they can get in and out. Little toad shelters. And the pond idea is good. Just a little pool and you will have an army of slug eaters on your side. Don't give up the chopsticks and soap water just yet. I prefer to spray them with non-sudsy ammonia and watch them writhe in agony. I'll probably spend a few days in slug purgatory for this.

Kim, that was so funny! I also died of laughing, thanks. Below is picture of my kid who trashed the garden with fertilizers when she was 3 years old. She's posing with Golden Celebration and Pat Austin roses. Everyone says that she looks just like me, very mischievous indeed. Her 3-years old playmate was about to "water" my flowers with a bottle of Round-Up. I was able to stop this on time, but not my own kid. I'm forced to garden the organic way ever since. Below is a picture of the beneficial perennial flower "Calendula", or "Pot Marigold", which host the beneficial Lacewing insects (eat asphids, mites, midges, and thrips). One species, Calendula Maritime, from Italy, is endangered. This perennial works well to hide leggy hybrid teas. It blooms non-stop from June to November in Illinois, and I often find it still blooming amidst the snow. Calendula is very drought-resistant and takes the rain well. It has medicinal values: "Calendula is not one of the major medicinal herbs, but it does have its place in the medicine cabinet. The petals or leaves can be used in a Tea to induce sweating, promote menstruation, increase urination, relieve stomach cramps, indigestion and stomachaches, and for relief from flu and fevers. Externally, Calendula flowers and leaves can be made into an Ointment or powder for a variety of common skin ailments, including cuts, scrapes, abrasions, scalds, blisters, acne, rashes (including diaper rash), chicken pox outbreaks, and athlete's foot. For bee stings, rub the fresh flowers directly on the sting to relieve the pain." Close-up of the orange Calendula perennial, is easily sown from seeds. The endangered species is bright yellow.

I had many flats of 3" potted perennials laying on the ground awaiting my plant sale. A few nights before the sale, I started sticking in the ID labels. When I got to one particular pot, the label wouldn't stick in. In fact, it felt kinda squishy....then the dirt gave a little shake. I dumped the pot out and squeezed into that little pot, under the dirt (without disturbing the plant!) was a HUGE toad! Unfortunately, I had to evict him. I could just imagine someone buying that plant, tipping it out to plant it and having a huge toad plop into their hand! I placed him though in a part of the garden where he could find a new home. :)