Hey there, Raven. I think the froggie people are elsewhere this week, at least I haven't seen any of them posting.They are all doing the garden work that I should be doing. Since I don't have any luck keeping frogs and toads near my pond I can only pass on what they would tell you with much less authority. It's not that I don't like the frogs, it's more that the neighbors all around us use so many chemicals. And then there are the dogs, there are amazing numbers of dogs and at night the wild critters are out and about snacking amazingly well. So you have an amphibian nursery going on! I once had that happen at a place we rented.The frogs were amazing! For a week they serenaded us and then vanished.I guess they found a sexy friend and a place to claim in the boggy area beyond the yard. I don't know how many frog predators you will have but it is a good bet some of the eggs will hatch and the froggies will grow to do their serenade again although in reduced numbers for a while. There are some forums devoted entirely to frogs and toads but this one spends a lot of time on the subject. With all you have uncovered you will fit in here quite nicely. It sounds like you did all the right things. You put them in sheltered, moist to wet locations. There are plenty of hiding places where they can locate insects and it isn't too far from where the eggs were laid in the first place, which is a bonus. The only thing to do now is keep the area watered if there is no rain and avoid using pesticides. Mother nature is very very generous with frog eggs so it is not surprising they don't stick around where the competition is so great and they provide dinner to many critters on the way to new locations. To a great extent they return to the areas where they hatched so erecting permanent barriers should be avoided although survivors in large numbers can be found crossing major highways at times. A small park near where I used to work erected a Frog Crossing sign and you traveled that street at your own risk in early spring. The highway I used to get home could be positively hazardous when the frogs were on the move. I am sure other posters can help far more than I can. Please keep posting. I'm sure they will show up soon. Sandy

It reallys helps to water for a few days before planting...you won't hurt your shoulders and arms. I have myoporum (pink) and I see white commonly planted here also. I also have lots of lavenders, salvias/sages, ceanothus, rock roses, lavatera. Friends nearby have african daisy and rosemary on their slope. After a few years the african daisy needs to be torn out and let it regrow as it gets woody dead undergrowth. You could also put in Lantana. It comes in purple, white, yellow and a orangish/yellow. But you will want to cut it back if you get frost and that might be difficult if a large area but its very colorful. The land management district that manages the planting for the city commonly uses rosemary, myoporum and coyote bush and some sort of short evergreen low growing but spreading shrubs. They use a few other things also but they attract birds and you probably don't want to do that. Keeping a very low ground cover will also avoid any nesting. Ask what your neighbors have even if they don't have a pool. Also check the link below they are a great resource. Take pictures of your area to them. Here is a link that might be useful: green thumb/green arrow

Turk's Cap or also known as Malvaviscus arboreus. We have had multiple humming birds be attracted to Turk's Cap. Chop it back in the winter and it will re-grow for the summer. It has gorgeous red flowers. Also on my blog I have a recipe for a natural humming bird food. Here is a link that might be useful: The Girl in the Wild West

Unfortunately it is not great for laps. Small and the tanning ledge where you see the two chairs in the water takes up a fair amount of space. But it is wonderful for floating, and excellent for gardening cool downs....weed a bit, jump in, dig a little, jump in. We do not close it for the winter...but shut down the waterfall. The main pump has a freeze protection so that it goes on when the temp goes below 34 degrees. My son went in this weekend and the water temp was 63 degrees...he just went in to help with getting leaves out of the main drain leaf trap. We spend a lot of time scooping leaves all fall! But it is worth it. Thanks for starting this thread...love seeing all the beautiful pools. Judy