How to Encourage Frogspawn in Your Pond

[@heatherbruce4496]

Thanks I have tried to make a wild life garden not that I have a very big garden but last year I had toads newts frogs. 1squirrel and a hedgehog family. and loads of birds. 1st time iv ever seen a real woodpecker. Thanks for the video

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

What a lucky lady you are! But, as we know, it's not luck at all... it's the efforts you've put in and you've surely been rewarded Heather - best wishes, Joel

[@theoddjobcentre6686]

​@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshtonI've made a stream in our garden with 3 pond's 1 large and quite deep out of a huge planter and 2 smaller shallower ones I'd like to send you a picture of it if you have a email or Facebook page.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@theoddjobcentre6686 Hi! Sounds fantastic - you can send photos to me at [e-mail] - much easier to check tan FB notifications etc. Look forward to seeing these! Best wishes, Joel

[@LizGriffiths]

I was to look the a deep in koi fish and my husband passed and l was the pond for was in the mush in the Cricklewood and the 3 feet water over. Inyears and I want to the pond in trees around ..Then you today when you said Liz and took if you wild garden ,l was stopped in3 yearsi the ditch with Netles and black berries it was the thick no l the birds and fox. and badger and now the space and l have the video the house is😊

[@bexlowe5670]

Felt compelled to comment. After watching your videos I took the plunge and have made my own wildlife pond from scratch. It was such hard work but I'm hoping to contribute to habitat for UK wildlife! Adore your channel Joel - you can tell that you aren't hustling for everyone to hire you to make ponds, you just want people to get interested (and now I am!). Thankyou so much!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Wow Bex, what an absolutely wonderful and encouraging message to wake up to after a pretty hard day yesterday! I am just so thrilled that the channel is having such an impact and yes, you are right, I couldn't physically get to everyone in the country that needed me for a pond so the next best thing was the book and then of course this channel - it's been hard work but the reward is purely in the extra habitats people are creating for nature and I must admit a slight lump in the throat when reading your comment just now - your support really does make a difference Bex, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know :) Best wishes to you and yours, Joel

[@WildlifeWithEmily]

I loved watching tadpoles growing up in my garden pond as a child. Getting to see wildlife naturally like that definitely contributed to me becoming a zoologist!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Same here! Except the zoologist bit ;) It's taken over 16 years for me to install all these habitats, much needed by all our creatures :) Best wishes, Joel

[@EdurtreG]

Dreamming now ... . Of little mountainstreams in South of France that flooded after heavy rains. My sister and I went out then to save the spawn. Lovely moist and crispy mornings. Thank you Joel!!!

[@normancoutts]

Always a joy each spring when the spawn arrives. 👍

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely :) Enjoy the weekend Norman - best wishes, Joel

[@alisonburgess345]

In Australia, we've got this Burrowing Frog which I dug up in the potato patch - I would have nearly speared him or her! Apparently they've only been observed about 70 or so times because they spend virtually their whole lives underground. I discovered this after I put the frog in a nice hole under a nearby chestnut tree and i don't want to try to dig him up again. I hope he's OK! They need water to breed, as you said.. Great video - enjoyed that.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Wow! I remember seeing a documentary a few years back that featured these guys - almost cartoon like with huge eyes, but compact bodies :) So glad you noticed him in time, I think they can live up to a METRE under the soil! Incredible, I'm sure he'll be ok - so glad he was discovered by you and he's had another chance :) Great work, and thank you so much for your support as always, it really does make a difference :) Take good care, Joel

[@williamsclive2900]

Fantastic Joel.... froglets everywhere soon.. love the pond ..looks very natural.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

I certainly hope so - the temptation to increase the size of the pond comes every year about this time ;) but it certainly seems to be doing the job. Thank you re the natural part, they certainly work like this, replicating what is found in nature - it's so incredible that nearly a million ponds have been lost in this country, and we wonder why we see less nature than when we were kids - sadly each generation seems to remember more creatures in abundance when they were young, which in itself is very telling :( Stay safe Clive and keep rescuing! Best wishes, Joel

[@UkAmphibians]

Wow Amazing Joel we love this time of year 🐸💚🐸

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Me too - it's all so encouraging :)

[@UkAmphibians]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Definitely 🐸💚🐸

[@andriana5311]

Thank you for doing this!

[@gardeninside1367]

Really enjoyed your video 😍 your pond look very beautiful 🌻🌼

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you so much - you are always there to support and encourage me and I really appreciate it :) Best wishes, Joel

[@DianeD862]

We’ve got frogspawn in our pond they seem to come back to us every year feeling very lucky 🍀 we love the 🐸 frogs we like gardening so there very good for us makes us feel a brighter with everything that’s going on GodBless.🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely Diane, it's great that you also have frogspawn, so much habitat has been lost but we can all make a difference, not just to nature, but the joy and benefits it brings in knowing we've made a difference and can see the results :) Best wishes to you and yours, Joel

[@Jaya365]

I rescued some frogspawn from a puddle back in 2020 lockdown when we had an early heatwave, having nothing to put them in and all the shops closed they were put in one of those big garden buckets with the handles on. I managed to get some water from the puddle in a more miniature bucket, rescue some of the invertebrates as well as some duckweed and add that to my ad-hoc habitat along with some rainwater. and rocks for cover. It wasn't ideal but I was surprised that almost all of them survived. I then added a solar-powered fountain to keep the water oxygenated, once they started growing I started adding in some tadpole food I got from Amazon which I was relying on in lockdown. We watched them develop into froglets, but one day I came back and they had all gone. I had added more rocks for surface area but I was puzzled as to how they had all gone the sides of the bucket were plastic and shear. After seeing my neighbour he said he seen a load of little frogs in his garden, it seems they can climb pretty well and had made it. Last year and this year I have had visitors to my garden and now put a mini pond in this year, which is how I came to this video. I may be a bit late this year for frogs as the area is pretty open but I'm optimistic for next year once I have some growth and it's a bit more friendly.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there! Thanks so much for this, really enjoyed reading your comment - well done on this rescue :) I found some recently too, not sure if you've seen the video but you can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWHMn4meaZxjgK8 Best wishes, and welcome to the channel! Joel

[@andriana5311]

This is wonderful, it made me happy to read it ❤

[@oxfordlocalsclassifiedads-6969]

We built small pond as feature, few years later our son spotted frogs, nearly each year we have frog spawn, this year no exception, soon to be grand frog parents, cool watching things happen

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Great to hear :) Ponds are VERY rewarding in no time - best wishes, Joel

[@Alinkc]

I love frogs there so cool

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely :) Best wishes, Joel

[@Alinkc]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton omg thx

[@mariofilippi3539]

Thanks, enjoyed your video very much.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Mario, I really appreciate you taking the time to send encouragement and support, it means a lot! Welcome to the channel and I hope you enjoy the other videos too. Best wishes, Joel

[@Tuppyandizzy]

What an amazing video. I hope i can help these magnificent little creatures thrive here too.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

If there is one person I know who will be determined enough to help these amphibians it will be you Ameed, I am positive of that - you care enough already and I know you will keep trying and finding ways to help them :) Hope all is good, best wishes, as always - Joel

[@Tuppyandizzy]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thank you Joel this really made me feel positive. 😇

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@Tuppyandizzy A famous quote, applicable to you I think.... "I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts - John Locke, 1689"

[@Tuppyandizzy]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton That's real deep , and it means a lot to me . Thankyou .

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@Tuppyandizzy I consider you a very good friend Ameed, it doesn't matter that we've not known each other for many years, but I am determined to visit Kashmir one day soon :)

[@jaymurtagh]

Hi Joel , love the videos, you inspired me to make a wildlife pond . 2.5m x 2.5m depth 1m . Hard work digging it out, but I'm sure it will be worth it, when the wildlife arrives. Already had a magpie on the " cobble beach" have a great bath and that's just day one after completion. Thanks for the videos to show how to build it. And keep them coming .

[@dogproofwildlifegardening3164]

Great video as always👍 My roll of fleece has arrived and my delivery of recycled sharp sand/subsoil is due at the weekend, so I'm too late for this year, but fingers crossed for next spring! I'm also having my two 60 foot eucalyptus trees cut down, and I'm having one left at about 10 foot and girdled to make standing deadwood 😊

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you, really appreciate this :) I can't wait for you to let me know what creatures benefit and what you see this year - I am so sure that you will have spawn next year but you will be rewarded for your efforts in between, I promise. Deadwood... so important - so good to hear all this, best wishes - Joel

[@theworthysoul]

The forbidden boba Loved the video though and I’d love to try to attract frogs to my next pond. It’ll be bigger and better than my current tiny one. Read your book too.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Ha! I'd not heard of that before, Boba... so I learned something today :) Frogs don't take long in finding a pond, they can travel miles to find water and if no large bodies available will spawn in the most unlikely places - I've seen spawn in an old ice cream tub that someone had left in their garden... I hope you enjoy the channel as it was an accompaniment to the book, and thank you for your purchase too, I appreciate it :) Here if you need any help, just drop us a line at [e-mail] if there's anything you need to know. Best wishes, Joel

[@SobrietyandSolace]

I’ll never look at tapioca/fruit popping jelly the same way!

[@battleguybarry5973]

Love the videos about the amphibians

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Peter, really appreciate you taking the time to leave a positive comment - it does make a difference :) There will be more, and soon - best wishes, Joel

[@TranquiloBayPanama]

Great video Joel! I can't wait to make a frog pond, beauty in the backyard.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

I can't wait either!! I really can't. This is going to be one helluva project - hope you're all doing well, can't wait to catch up in July - best wishes to you all - Joel

[@TranquiloBayPanama]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton We're gonna have a blast, and the frogs, oh my..... I will send you a picture of our test bucket, it's crazy!

[@lynnrushton7458]

Love this! 💜🐸

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Lynn - glad you enjoyed it - there's lots more on the channel about helping wildlife :) Best wishes, Joel

[@lynnrushton7458]

Wild Your Garden with Joel Ashton time for a binge watch lol 👍

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@lynnrushton7458 Sorry for the delay Lynn, I hope you've enjoyed it so far :) Best wishes, Joel

[@453421abcdefg12345]

Very nice to see so much Frogspawn in this pond, the good thing is that with this many tadpoles there will be plenty of food for Dragonfly nymphs, and Grass Snakes, our most common species here are the large Edible frogs, which make a lot of noise, and the Common Tree Frog, which cling to our windows, there must be Common Frogs around, but we are very dry here, so they are probably down in the valley below, we also get lots of Salamanders, which look like they are made from rubber, all with a different yellow pattern. Stay safe ! Chris B.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hello there Chris :) They certainly spawn in high numbers due to the predation from various other creatures. Tree frogs on your windows... gotta see that one day :) Love the description of the salamanders - I have the pool frogs in France, such vivid colours and a high number of toads too - can't wait to get back - best wishes, as always - Joel

[@bosertheropode5443]

I like this channel, making your garden wildlife friendly is very important in these times of loss of biodiversity. I hate these "modern", sterile gardens...

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you :) I really appreciate your comment, it makes a lot of difference - me too re the sterile gardens, they give such a limited time outside too, enjoyed during the sun but redundant most of the rest of the year :) Best wishes to you, and thank you again for the support - Joel

[@wildlifegardener-tracey6206]

I’m starting my tidy up next week Joel spawn arrived on the eighth so the frozen couple obviously survived. So far four clumps. I need more cover round my pond that’s on my todo list this spring. Great advice.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Tracey - so pleased to hear that they successfully bred, despite the odds! So glad that the video was helpful, you know where I am should you need any other advice, and hopefully I'll be able to give this in person real soon :)

[@EasyHikes4810]

Great information and video, Joel👍. Frogs are such an important amphibian and a great indicator of a healthy ecosystem, be it in a wilderness setting or a backyard pond. I wish I had more of them in my pond, but cane toads being in plague proportions, unfortunately, do keep them away😥. Have a great week!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

I wish you didn't have to "suffer" these cane toads, and I know it would mean further human intervention no doubt, but I do hope the water rats find their way to you... ;) Don't give up, stay safe and have a great week too, best wishes, Joel

[@samd7885]

I used a washing up bowl and I've had a pair for 2 years

[@COOKINGBIRD]

AMAZING

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you, so much :)

[@kevinpowell7948]

Last summer I put a small pond in, haven't seen any amphibians yet but one day I will. 🍀

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely you will Kevin, they will find you and your pond and you will be rewarded - it doesn't matter the size of the water body, I've seen frog spawn in discarded plant pots that have filled with rain :) There are so many other creatures that will be benefitting in the meantime - best wishes, Joel

[@ryanhickinbottom8416]

Hi joel my daughter and me built a pond in our garden and introduced wild sticklebacks they are thriving with my coy carp we gathered frogspawn from a swamp last year and watched them transform into froglets then they started to dissapear and last night we checked on our fish and we were greeted by quite a large frog .my pond is quite simple with a pump and filter but would love to get it more wild thanks buddy 👍

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Ryan! Wow, thanks so much for this, really good to read - I do hope you and your daughter are enjoying the rest of the channel too, there's lots of videos to help but it seems you've been rewarded for your efforts already :) would love to see a photo or two of this - feel free to send to [e-mail] as I want to collate images/film of people's own ponds and the difference they're making :) Best wishes to you and yours and thanks so much for the support, it's appreciated - Joel

[@clareevanstimemanagementco6009]

Pleased to say I now regularly have frogspawn in both of my small barrel ponds. This year it's appeared in a shallow grow bag tray which just happened to be full of water! Be patient, it did take a few years before frogspawn appeared even though frogs were in the pond soon after it was first created.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Great news Clare - and thank you for being so encouraging to others, patience certainly pays :) They certainly will spawn in any water body they can find, such a determined effort to keep their species going, and so many people to help them now :) Best wishes, Joel

[@suzannebramble6564]

You have given me hope for my new, sad, little pond Clare! I am learning so much from Joel and others on this site.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@suzannebramble6564 That's so wonderful to read Suzanne, really it is :)

[@matthewfarrell317]

Nice random KZbin recommendation. During lockdown here in Melbourne, Aust we built a food forest in the front garden, only a small 6x10m space with currently 25 fruit trees and a growing collection of berries, grapes and annuals. But I want to now attract lizards into the garden (Aussie thing lol), they used to be everywhere but now have disappeared, but they would help control snails/slugs etc. So planning to add a small pond, maybe a 1x1m to provide a water source (will also help the bees and birds) but I have zero doubt that frogs will also join in on the party. Luckily we have a frog safe native fish we can add to keep the mozzies down.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Matthew - so sorry for the delay in responding, I've been away in Scotland and only just come back, trying to catch up on comments :) I really appreciate your support and it sounds like a fantastic thing you are doing/have done - if you wanted any hints on how to build the best pond for many creatures then there is a 3 part series on the channel - you'll find them under the "videos" section - but here are a few of the many that I have created over the last 15 years - I hope it gives some inspiration: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHiUqGqDis2bjtU Best wishes to you and yours - Joel

[@matthewfarrell317]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton that's not a problem, hope the getaway was good. I may have already binged a few of your videos lol

[@fennie56]

Interesting video.. thanks.. tried all of that without success.. a friend offered to let us have frogspawn from her pond but I “think” that’s not recommended/allowed? What are the frog’s normal predators? Could be we have too many of them..

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Fennie - there are a good few predators of frogs. The usual would be foxes, cats, birds etc but even hedgehogs are known to take young frogs - to them, meat is meat! It isn't illegal to move frogspawn but quite important, if found in the wild, to release the froglets back from where the spawn was laid as they will try to get back to where they were "born". Newts, fish and birds will eat frogspawn but I think you'd notice some spawn before they decimated it, and they usually don't take everything - around 1 in 50 make it through, hence the large amounts laid :) Hope that helps - best wishes, Joel

[@taxusbaccata6332]

Great advice. Frogs are food for many creatures including foxes, owls, badgers, herons, and I actually witnessed a large adult frog in the mouth of a hedgehog! They seem to have a preference leaving their spawn on water cress or other dense vegetation. When the spawn hatch the black wriggling mass on top of the jelly incubator seems very vulnerable. I think it could be a good thing to disperse them at this stage as Ive sen ducks devour masses of them at this time, what do you think Joel? Leave it to nature is likely the answer.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - thank you :) Yes, so many creatures consume frogs as part of their diet and I had heard this regularly re hedgehogs too. I have advised people to separate the frogspawn when they find it in their fish ponds etc, or to at least net it off until they are more formed into young frogs. I guess, rather like rabbits being prey for a lot of creatures, frogs lay in such huge numbers to combat loss. Have a look at this short video and the follow up by Clive here - he found frogspawn in somewhere relatively unlikely, so desperate are they to find habitat: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5rXg5-OqNtjbpI The follow up video shows them rescued, I'm really glad he did this :) Hope you enjoy it, best wishes - Joel

[@becksybuilds150]

Would be great to see a full tour of your garden...

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - I do plan to do a full tour once the weather improves and everything kicks back into life :) I did a very brief video tour from last year in this livestream video - it's at around 50 mins in I think - but a better video will be coming soon as this was taken on a phone, although it will give a good idea: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKm3YY2shLqjfas Best wishes, Joel

[@becksybuilds150]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton ah brilliant thanks Joel (I'm intrigued by the sectioned off areas..), will take a watch now - really good how you take the time to reply - Have a good week!!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

You too! :) If I'm right, and you're talking about the sectioned parts - ie the wooden posts and then wire system, this is purely to keep my GSD/Husky off the meadow area... guess whether it's successful only 50% of the time! ;) I really want to encourage so many people to think of wildlife when planning gardens etc so I'm happy to help in any way I can if it means another habitat for desperate creatures :) Take good care, hope you enjoy the channel - best wishes, Joel

[@becksybuilds150]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton absolutely loving the channel! Yes that's the bits I'm talking about. I imagine it's an issue a lot of people in UK have - we have a rescue dog that loves to explore... But it's a nice way of bringing structure to an area too. It'd be interesting to see how you set that up, was there structure or planning to that area? Etc. We have a fairly decent sized area at the back of our garden that backs onto woodland (we've seen deer and owls at the fence) so I'm really trying to get as much research done before I start but your channel is really helping. Will certainly pester you again in the future for advice if you haven't already covered it in a video!!

[@becksybuilds150]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton p.s just watched that vidb and tour - great to see thanks! Lovely dog too - ours is a Romanian rescue too 👍

[@sherryroberts7716]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I live in California and we often have long, hot droughts. I love the idea of providing water for wildlife here, especially for migrating birds. But I know I will have a problem at night with raccoons. Do you have an idea for protecting the pond at night? Wire? The pond will only be about 3 feet by 5 feet and I want it open during the day for dragonflies to do their things and for the frogs, etc., to be able to nose around the yard. Any thoughts?

[@robtaylor9547]

Hi, great advice, built a pond, not big, and now frogs are living in it, what baffles me, how did they end up in the pond, not complaining as it is a water feature for wild life, but we have no other ponds around the adjourning gardens... they have spawn for the last 4 years, just been out now and we some be grand frog parents soon.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Rob - it's amazing how they find these water sources isn't it, but it shows how important and much in need they are :) When they're not breeding, as in your pond, I know that frogs can easily travel half a mile or so to find breeding spots and quite amazingly toads will travel up to 5 miles! Your comment is quite timely for another video I hope to upload this evening :) Best wishes, and well done on providing such a vital habitat - Joel

[@jakekent874]

Hi Joel. Really enjoying your videos and learning a lot. I'm about to go off-grid down here in Cornwall and have just dug a 5m x 7m pond on my half acre plot. The pond is currently about 60-70cm deep in the deepest part with ledges of about 40 and 20 cm around the edges. I wonder will that be deep enough? My plan is to line it with old carpet then a cheaper style pond liner, protect that with either more carpet or the free underlay that comes with the liner then some sub-soil, stone, plants and a log or two as per your advice. It will get plenty of direct sun in the summer and very little in the winter as it is nestled under the north side of an east to west, bramble covered, stone hedge . Hopefully I'm on the right path to provide a variety of species with the ideal habitat. I'm very lucky that it is bordered by boggy woodland littered with seasonal ponds and a stream. There are many native trees including willlows, ash, hazel, alder, oaks, sweet chestnuts, hawthorn, wild cherry and some good old gorse with a combination of wild meadow grass, woodland and wetland. Its pretty much a totally natural environment as is and I want to disturb it as little as possible, but also nurture it and ultimately live amongst it. Any advice would be awesome, and if you're ever in Corwall you'd be more than welcome :) Keep up your great work! Many thanks.

[@heatherbruce4496]

Hi I built a bond last year I'm out every night like a 52 year old kid hoping to have some

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Heather - you'll be rewarded for your efforts in no time, I have no doubt :)

[@prisonmike1798]

My largest wildlife pond is in the shade of the garden fence until the end of March. Right now there are 9 different adults that I’ve seen together waiting in the pond, I’m sure they’ll spawn soon. We’ve had some warm nights so I thought they’d have spawned sooner

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

You'll see some spawn soon, I am sure of that Mike :) Mine were croaking every night for about 2 weeks, but if I approached the pond, even stealthily, they would notice me and dive/sink to the bottom! But the evidence was there the next morning :) Best wishes, Joel

[@prisonmike1798]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton they spawned last night mainly in my smaller pond where it gets a lot of sun, had 3 clumps in the small pond and 1 clump in the bigger pond in the sunny spot. Strange how they knew it was the sunny spot considering it doesn’t get sun until April

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@prisonmike1798 So great to read Mike - tadpoles do fair better in full sun, I know that for sure - but agree that it's rather incredible that they "know" to spawn in that area, thinking on it mine have spawned too in the sunniest spot :) Thanks so much for letting me know the good news - best wishes, Joel

[@sjdyt]

We haven’t had frogs for 3 years now. We have newts and lots of other little critters, even a grass snake slithered out a couple of years ago. I’m leaving more cover in there this year so will wait and see what happens.

[@juliew7527]

Hi. What is a 'herbaceous' border? Does it mean it is comprised of herbs? Loved you video, thank you.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Julie! utmost apologies for the delay in responding, I don't seem to be getting all the notifications re comments and am having to trawl the videos to ensure I'm acknowledging everyone. It does sound like it, doesn't it! However, herbaceous in general means these plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground, including many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. I hope this helps - best wishes, Joel

[@rogercorominamarce968]

Thanks, it's a nice video. But how do you do in winter, when the water temperature it's near 0C?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Roger - many apologies for the delayed reply! I don't seem to get all notifications re comments and I missed this. In winter the amphibians and other creatures will leave the pond and only really use it in Spring for breeding, some will go to the bottom of the pond where they are able to survive :) I hope this helps, even if it is a little late, sorry again - best wishes, Joel

[@nicole-louise5661]

I have made a wildlife pond on my allotment plot surrounded by logs and what will be wild flowers, and there doesn't seem to be any other ponds around on a large worked site.... How can frogs be enticed from further away?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Nicole-Louise! Great to hear that there's another habitat for so many creatures. My garden is the same, in that there doesn't seem to be any water bodies in other gardens nearby and quite a distance from the natural pond about half a mile from me. However, incredible as it may sound, frogs can travel up to 5km to find water when it is breeding season - they will attempt to lay spawn in all kinds of situations, including puddles because they are so "desperate" to find habitat. Don't be discouraged, keep going with what you're doing and I am pretty confident that one day you will be pleasantly surprised with a few amphibian visitors :) The more people we can encourage to garden with wildlife in mind, the more habitats and the more "mosaics" of habitat can be provided :) Hope that is helpful - best wishes, Joel

[@erin_mae_7987]

Your videos have inspired me to make a pond but I will make it in a container because we don't have enough space for a big pond

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

I'm so pleased about that Erin - if you haven't seen the video already then a good while ago I posted an instructional video on how to make a barrel pond for wildlife - you can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpnchopnpZmFmtk Hope that's helpful - apologies if you've already seen it, but it was posted over a year ago now I think - best wishes to you - Joel

[@muskanshukla7340]

Nice😊👍👍👏👏👏👏

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thanks 🤗 - I really appreciate your support Muskan, take care and best wishes to you - Joel

[@Moamanly]

If you are building ponds (and I think you should!) always incorporate a shallow area where animals can get out of the water from -should they fall in. Ponds change the whole feel of your garden for the better and as well as introducing aquatic plants they also draw a wider variety of wildlife.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely this :) And yes, there's no better habitat to provide so much for so many creatures, thank you for this - best wishes, Joel

[@crazyjoep2344]

Oh man...this reminds me of the house I used to live in with my ex boyfriend (dont get fooled by the name, im a female and Joep is one of my cats ;) ). It was close to a nature reserve/park like space and we found both frogs and toads in our garen all the time. They loved to chill around the stones near our Koi pond or just hop around the plants. There were so many early on in the year that we often found them dead at the road nearby. On other places, buckets were placed so they could be relocated. But we never really found out were they came from, because there were so many little ponds nearby. I have a very small garden now, in the middle of the same city and it saddens me there isnt mutch green here. Both my neighbours have stone gardens, and they get very hot in the summer. There also isnt a drain so when the rains come pooring out of the sky it all runs into my little garden (that is lower then theirs) and causes massive flooding. But for some reason, there is a ton of life in it. Rainworms, beetles, spiders, butterlfly's and even wasps come to visit me every year. I do miss the frogs..sadly I do not have the space to make a pond.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

That was so descriptive :) I really appreciate you letting me know. I am not sure how much space you have but here's a video I uploaded on making a barrel pond, you might not be able to sink it in the ground much, but you could place rocks, stones, wood etc around the edge to allow access, and more importantly exit for creatures? Hope you have the space, they really do work - you can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpnchopnpZmFmtk Hope that helps - do keep me updated on what visits your garden :) Best wishes, Joel

[@gregparman-sibley6277]

There are a few frogs about though not many. So my question is, do frogs eat slugs? If so then a pond for the frogs would be a good thing. Just wondering if slow worms will eat the baby frogs though as there are some about the area as well. I know grass snakes do though have not seen any over the last nine years. Love to encourage the wild life in my garden. Every year there are new things to discover which makes it exciting to spend time in the garden. Two winters ago a young hedgehog over wintered and really hoped it was going to stay around as we have a real slug problem in the area. Every year I get inundated with the little beasties and really want to try and deplete them in as natural way as possible. Other wildlife in the area are dragonflies every year and recently had pipistrelle bats come and nest in one of the big trees. This may be because of planting trees around the garden so there is flying cover for them from predators. Had a lot of success with bumble bees by leaving piles of leaf litter about and not moving them until they move home just before winter. Bumble bees are the big fluffy ones dombus, red tail, white tail and mason by leaving piles of soft chalky rocks with holes in them about the garden in sheltered areas..

[@suzannebramble6564]

Hi Joel, I started my first ever pond late last year. It's been a bit of a failure I am afraid. Think maybe the container is too shallow (and very small, I couldn't find a preformed one small enough!). Also, I had leaves in it all winter which I now know makes the water too fertile. Seem to have lost most of the plants sadly but will try again this year. How far will frogs travel? My neighbours gardens are very sterile - fake grass, paving and no plants or plastic plants. I have been over to visit Tracey's channel and loved the tour of her garden. Thanks again for all you do.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Suzanne, it's the same here re sterile gardens adjacent to mine. However, frogs are known to travel up to 5km to search for breeding ponds/water sources and I do know of them spawning in disused flowerpots that fill up with rain water, not the best environment but does show how "desperate" things are, but spawn can develop successfully even in a belfast sink sized pond. Yep, fallen leaves are certainly a detriment to ponds, I am not sure which plants you have in the pond but they may well be lying dormant, as a lot do, during the winter period and then come back to life - my own pond that I show in this video looks quite murky but when the hornwort etc starts to grow again it only takes a few days for the water to become crystal clear again. I loved the tour of Tracey's garden too, she has been custodian of this area for many years, watching her neighbouring gardens be "improved" with concrete and trampolines etc :/ Gladly there are more and more people taking an interest in gardening with nature in mind though, so there is hope :) Best wishes, Joel

[@suzannebramble6564]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks for your reply Joel, I didn't know that about frogs so there is hope for my tiny pond yet then! PS. my pond isn't as deep as a belfast sink but if frogs spawn in flowerpots I am guessing that's not a problem.

[@barodacyril]

I got an allotment and have a tub have filled it with water any idea how to invite frogs so that they will help in eating away the slugs not only for my plot but others as well

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Frogs, newts, toads will use water sources more in Spring during breeding season. After this they will usually be scouring long grasses etc for insects and then come late autumn and winter they'll be in need of over-wintering places like log piles, compost heaps etc - so if you ensure you have the other habitat they'll certainly reward you by keeping on top of pests :) I hope this helps - best wishes, Joel

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Oh, and there are lots more videos on the channel about how to create habitat etc but you might enjoy this video in the meantime: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWHMn4meaZxjgK8 🙂

[@lesrowley1]

I'm thinking of building a garden pond. When's the best time to do this? I am thinking of starting in January. The next question is putting the pond up against a small wall. What is the best approach in terms of hiding the liner? Do I need to fix the liner to the upright wall?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Les. Any time is good to install a pond. I make them all year round 😁 As for the wall, you could either adhere it with an adhesive, or chase out a mortar joint and mortar it back into the wall? Hope this helps. Thank you.

[@bernadettelondonuk4575]

I have a natural newt pond about 30m from my garden. Can I take spawn from it to populate my new wildlife pond? I have seen frogs and toads in the garden so I am sure they will find it eventually, but it would be lovely to have some this year and my pond may be a bit new....

[@ruthnewby6863]

I put in a wildlife pond in my garden 3 years ago, and seem to see fewer frogs in the garden than before I put it in. I’ve never had frogspawn and the past two springs I’ve had to remove dead frogs from the pond. I do get breeding newts but I wish I could get frogs too.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

That’s a shame to hear, Ruth. Do you have lots of log piles / rock piles for them to overwinter?

[@redjcmarie2]

Question- i’ve been really enjoying your videos and wanted to dig a pond- my impression was that there needs to be some sort of pump to circulate the water somehow, but I’m not seeing pumps in your videos. I know that the plants can do a good job of this if chosen properly, how big does a pond need to be to not need a pump of some kind? Where I want to build one it’s too far from an outlet. Thanks!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hello there :) I have never used pumps or artificial filtration in any of the ponds I've created over the last 16 years and due to the oxygenating plants and other cover plants these work sufficiently in any sized water body, the bigger the body, the more plants of course. I really appreciate your positive comment, it makes a difference - if you wanted supplies and are in the UK, you can ask us for advice on width and length of liner/fleece/amount of plants etc and buy everything you need here: www.wildyourgarden.com Many thanks again - best wishes to you, Joel

[@tophatcat5921]

I have a small pond made from an old belfast sink this year I now have a frog living in it I did put a waterfall/fountain in it but i have found out frogs dont like them so i will have to have a re-think to help them

[@everanon993]

I've got a frog! He/she is living in my water feature with lightly running water. I don't think there is any food in there. I wonder if he/she is stuck as there is no ramp. Perhaps it can jump out. I sacrificed a snail I found in the garden and put it on the edge of the water feature and when I came back half hour later it had gone. So, did it crawl away or did froggy have some dinner?

[@paul_cripps]

Whats Traceys channel, keen to see those frozen frogs!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Here's a direct link to the video Paul - worth a watch, and a subscribe to Tracey's channel, do say I sent you :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qImoo35oit-qgqs

[@kathydoyle1857]

ANY HELP/ADVICE WELCOME! I found a load of frogspawn in my garden in an old shallow cat litter box I put outside to throw out. I put more water in (bottled spring water) and they are now tadpoles. They are congregating around the edges of the box and I'm wondering if I need to help with some kind of food if they are hungry. The box is in some long grass next to a planted border. I cannot provide a pond for them but could transfer them into a washing up bowl and put a small rock in to help them get out when they mature. Just need advice on do I need to provide some type of food etc!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Kathy! How wonderful to read that you're already caring about these wonderful little creatures. Don't panic, they only need water in the breeding season and of course for growing/feeding in whilst at tadpole stage. I know that very finely chopped spinnach (or you can use the already chopped frozen and defrost) is loved by tadpoles and brocolli too. If it's possible to transfer half of them into the washing up bowl and leave the others in the litter tray that should give them more room :) Rocks or similar to help them leave these tiny "ponds" when they are older would be good. Once they grow they will leave of their own accord and then spend the rest of the year foraging in your garden. I hope this helps - best wishes, Joel

[@kathydoyle1857]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joe! Thanks so much for replying so quickly and for all the advice, I'll pop out tomorrow and buy some of those items and a washing up bowl! I do get adult and baby frogs in my garden each year because my neighbour has a large pond (in a very tiny garden) but I wasn't sure about how to help these tadpoles. I've subscribed to your channel and will enjoy watching more on tadpoles and about pond building! Kind regards. Kathy

[@MirageandReality]

Will they be ok if there is a water pump there and it is a small pond?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - if you can remove the pump whilst they are small it will be better for them - unless of course you have a "wildlife friendly" pump/filter system. I hope this helps :) Best wishes, Joel

[@louiselund2419]

can i use 1000 liter preformed pond for a wild garden as long as i put some branches and plants in for habitats and for animals to come up if they should fall in

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely you can Louise :) It will need a hole big enough to support it of course - have you seen the 3 part series on the channel here that shows how I make more natural looking wildlife ponds? Just a suggestion - but if you do need help with anything, from lining to the best pond plants etc then do drop us a line at [e-mail] and we'll be happy to help :) Best wishes - Joel

[@Gargamel19]

What if I don't want to create an IN ground one but rather one that's above ground? I'm planning on doing something like a large galvanized metal horse trough style water lily pond and would love to add some frogs in (or at least be a welcoming place) for them once I'm totally set up? I have tons of tropical plants around my house (it's all I grow really) but it's all in pots for the most part. We have plenty of mosquitos, lady bugs, and eco life because of this. Plenty of bugs to feed on and so forth.

[@Andy.C1993]

I have a stickleback in a pot pond in my garden its done fine and survived frost its about 60cm deep holds about 50ltr would it be ok to transfer him to a 50ltr preformed pond 28 cm deep?

[@vivienwailes2810]

We created a wildlife pond in the autumn of 2022 and did everything that you suggested. Las year we had a newt but, so far, no frogs or spawn. What are we doing wrong?

[@oliviakilmartin5579]

Mysteriously our toads have totally disappeared from our garden and have been replaced by frogs which croak charmingly in our pond at night. There's lots of frogspawn. Initially I was worried we wouldn't have any wildlife in our pond as we have goldfish. I once saw some small dragonflies laying eggs, but I fear they were eaten by the goldfish. Would you advise not having goldfish if you want wildlife? Also, we had newts, but they've disappeared too. Also, can you explain how the frogs and toads got into our garden? We have high walls all around our urban garden with no gaps. How they climb the walls I've no idea! Even before we had a pond we had lots of toads. Where were they breeding!? Do tadpoles need feeding? We don't feed the goldfish, so do they compete for the food?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Olivia :) I don't put fish in any of the wildlife ponds that I install, but I need to reiterate that I *do* like fish in the right setting! ;) However, they can have a detrimental effect as you point out, with dragonfly larvae, spawn etc. I have to ask whether you have cats that are able to access the garden at all - they do take a good number of amphibians. Newts will feast on frogspawn and frogs will eat newts... but you seem to have neither so I am not sure that is the cause. Tadpoles will eat the algae in ponds when they are growing and of course choose insects/worms as they grow into froglets/adults etc. It's quite amazing but toads will indeed climb walls and trees but I am not sure how high, they don't have suction pads like tropical tree frogs etc, but they do have claws which allow them to get a purchase on rough surfaces, but again I'm not sure how high they can go. Sadly, I do know that toad populations have declined around 75% and newts around 60% since the 1960s - several reasons, as usual human interference, from habitat loss to pesticides. I hope this explains a little further, but I apologise that I'm unable to give an exact reason. I am more than happy for you to send me an email with some photos if you think there's more I could "see" from that - you can reach me at [e-mail] - best wishes, Joel

[@teresabetterton]

. P..

[@fishtales2597]

Hi we have a wildlife pond and cant seem to get any frogs, i cant cut holes in the cement holding the fence up so any other suggestions that may help? apart from that love the video

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hello there - sorry for the delay, a rather busy weekend. However, I do have two suggestions. You can always remove some of the soil under the concrete board, it can be easily done with a trowel - or you could always lift out the panel and the concrete panel and replace it with a wooden gravel board, cutting out before you fit it. I hope that does help and gives a few ideas, assuming it is "your" fence of course :) I really appreciate your support - best wishes, Joel

[@samjoseph7454]

Just found your channel this week! Love the videos and the fact you’re spreading awareness of wildlife’s needs in the garden. 👏🏻 I have a question if that’s ok; I have small garden with room for a 1.5x2m pond. The area does not get any direct sunlight between October and the end of March/April. Assuming I were to ‘plant up’ the pond area, would this be suitable habitat for frogs? Keep up the great work 😃

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Wow Sam, what a lovely comment to read this morning :) Absolutely thrilled that the channel is helping you and that you're considering another habitat for wildlife. The pond not getting sunlight during the more winter months is fine as not a lot happens plant-wise etc during this time, so no problem there. You could try some Hart's Tongue as that's evergreen and has pretty thick leaves etc to "hide" under, but what would be good is a log-stack or even some old tiles arranged so that there is shelter - you'll soon get visitors :) Hope that helps, I'm here if you need anything else - take good care and good luck, Joel

[@samjoseph7454]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks for your reply! That’s definitely convinced me to go ahead with my pond plans! Haha going to watch and follow your videos ‘How to build the ultimate wildlife pond’ when I’m off work next week. Have a great day :)

[@toin9898]

I live in an urban neighbourhood just about as dense as any in Central London, how do I get the frogs there in the first place?

[@tonivince589]

Will birds eat frogs spawn above water? Amazing story about the frozen frogs.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Toni - yes, the male and female Blackbirds here were "caught" doing this at the weekend! :) Best wishes, Joel

[@HollieMorris]

We’ve just brought our first home and there is a pond which is full of frog spawn and frogs! The water is very murky, how can I clean it so we can see the frogs?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Mollie - the frogs clearly don't mind the water, but then again I've seen before where they've spawned in an old ice cream tub left in someone's garden. The best thing for the pond, and to keep it clear would be oxygenating plants, these are available at the beginning of April on our website but if you send a photo or two of the pond to [e-mail] then we can have a look and suggest the best way forward :) Best wishes - Joel

[@GarethBradley]

Would you get frog spawn using the barrel pond method yiu show in a different video or is it too small?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Gareth - absolutely you will! I have seen spawn even in a small icecream tub that had been left in someone's garden, they really will use any water source available, no doubt due to the lack of habitat these days! Hope that helps, let me know when you get some :) Best wishes, and thanks for your support - Joel

[@snailboy5610]

Hi - what's your view of lifting some frogspawn from an existing pond. I think Ive heard not to do this as it can lead to the transfer of disease from one pond to another. I live in quite an urban environment so I think it may take some time for frogs to find their own way to my pond

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - sorry for the delay. Is the existing pond already in your garden or do you mean one in the wider countryside? You're right in that diseases can spread this way and it's not recommended. However, you may be pleased to know that once you have a pond they will soon find it - once they have finished breeding, frogs can travel up to around 500 metres to find a new pond, toads are known to travel 5 kilometres! Hopefully with us spreading the word about the importance of habitat, how gardens can be a lifeline for our depleting wildlife, then more people will "get" the idea and there will be a mosaic of habitats and more people can provide a vital source for frogs and other amphibians :) Don't give up hope yet, you may well be pleasantly surprised. Best wishes, Joel

[@snailboy5610]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thanks for taking the time to reply. The pond I was thinking of using is at my allotment a mile or so away. I live in quite an urban environment in a large city so I'm a little pessimistic as to whether there are any local frog populations near enough to migrate to my pond. I've had a much smaller pond in my garden for maybe 5 years and never seen any attempts to use it by frogs. I did find a toad though this autumn whilst moving some pots about. Scared me half to death :). Hopefully it was less scared by me moving its shelter temporarily. I think I will take your advice though and resist the temptation for now. I do love to see how enthusiastic yourself and your viewers are, although living where I do feel like we are swimming against the tide with most people more concerned about ensuring their cars are away from the danger of being scratched rather than using what space they have to offset the damage done by industrial farming. :(. Sorry to end on such a negative note. Keep up the video they are great.

[@patriciapratt8274]

hi, we have a po d 3m by 4 m and have newts but for last two years the toads and frogs have not been seen 😢 what can I do to bring them back...

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Patricia - don't panic yet. Newts eat tadpoles, so ponds with lots of newts tend to have fewer frogs. This isn’t always going to be the case though. A decrease in frogs means a decrease in tadpoles and that can lead to fewer newts. Then, frog numbers will start to increase :) Nature finds a way in the end and having newts is reward in itself - I hope you're having a good weekend - best wishes, Joel

[@boutchie06]

We have a large pond about 100 ft from our house that produces so many frogs and toads that we have almost 0 mosquitoes! 🐸

[@helennewburyjones9307]

Gess what this is the scecond year of having tadpoles in my garden l have been putting out egg shells for years in cintaineres with crished egg shells fir my soil last year l dicovered tadpols in the water and shells l let them grow and took them down to the nearest pond where l released them lt must bevthe nutrents in egg shells that attraked mummy frog 🐸❤

[@rezaamini2388]

Hi , I live in East Sussex and had large number of mating frogs in my big pond and several plastic tubs around my garden beginning of February when the weather was mild but as soon as the weather turned to cold all the frogs disappeared. My question is : have they all gone back to hibernation?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Reza, it will no doubt be the cold snap that sent them back into their own "lockdown" (!) - but they will return and it will be soon I am sure :) I remember you saying about the large amount of frogs back in February, they will have sheltered and will be back - best wishes, Joel

[@joyinman5215]

Hi can you help I made a wild pond and collect some frog spawn with my granddaughter. They are doing well but have not developed into frogs but are getting very big could they be marsh or bull frogs I collected it April

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hello Joy - so sorry for the delay, I've been away in Scotland visiting clients and only just back and catching up! Sometimes tadpoles, if the weather isn't quite right, will stay as tadpoles until next year - they will be fine I am sure and something to look forward to next year! Hope this helps - best wishes, Joel

[@WelshAmethystGirl087]

I'm in the middle of researching how to create the best wild pond habitat in my garden. I get many frogs passing through but only recently discovered how badly they need the help. I'm enjoying a hobby of creating ecosystems etc in jars at the moment but I have a huge vivarium in my garden that I'm planning on somehow using to create a wild pond. Il be leaving the front open and creating the wild areas around the vivarium il also make it easy for wildlife to find it. Just struggling on exactly how I want to do it, ground level or up off the ground cascading down to ground level best thing about it being glass and open at the front. Protection from harsher winter months, also my garden is a wildlife paradise. I have hedgehog hides and bug hotels galore plus loads of log piles on random areas for other wildlife. This vivarium pond is my next and largest project attempt to date. Planning on starting it this spring any tips or advice would be great

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Kirsty, make sure it's good access for everything of course, but someone who may well be able to help on this is "UK Amphibians" - you can find this guy on twitter or on his youtube channel - kzbin.info - he's great for advice and I'm sure you'll enjoy his videos too :) Best wishes - Joel

[@WelshAmethystGirl087]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thank you so much for the advice il be sure to check him out

[@hermanhale9258]

I don;'t have a pond, but I had frogs in a ditch this year, And now I found tadpoles in my rain barrel.

[@boutchie06]

This spring we had a month long drought which dried up all the small pools of water where chorus frogs and spring peepers spawn. The chorus frogs and spring peeper population has already declined significantly on our farm. We have a 1 acre pond next to our house, and it is full of all kinds of bull, green, leopard, spade mouth frogs and toads. Since the pond isn’t as affected by drought, if I save some chorus frog tadpoles and let them develop in to frogs, is it ok to release them into pond if we have another drought next year?

[@annieleymarie46]

I've done all that you explain but after two winters in my new (very small but very wildlife-friendly) garden I do not have frogspawn. Can I transplant some from somewhere else (if I find it?)

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Sorry to hear that Annie, sometimes it does take a few years for frogs to "find" a pond - they can travel up to 5km to find habitat though. It is not illegal in any way to transplant frog spawn, and it is often found in the most precarious of places, where it will not survive if not "helped" - but there is advice of course that transplanting from existing ponds can transfer invasive plants/diseases etc - it's a difficult one, but I certainly would help if I found spawn in a place where it would have no chance of the spawn making it to tadpole stage etc. Sorry I can't help more at this stage, but do update me if you do have a pleasant surprise next year :) Wishing them your way.... - Joel

[@donnaharris8097]

I have such a pretty wildlife pool , its a year old but hardly anything but pigeons ever uses it ,

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Sorry to hear that Donna, it may well be that there is no cover adjacent and smaller songbirds etc feel too "exposed", it can be a problem with ponds and also bird-feeders, they're best near some cover otherwise smaller birds will fear predation. I hope this helps, you don't want trees right next to a pond of course as the leaves can be a problem in Autumn, but some low shrubs or similar cover might work. Best wishes, Joel

[@231darren]

There are over 5,000 species of known frogs around the world. in t5he UK you will find Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) ... Common toad (Bufo Bufo) ... Common frog (Rana Temporaria Pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Darren, appreciate this :) Have you seen "UK Amphibians" youtube channel? He's very into his amphibians and a great guy :) Best wishes, Joel

[@ThaoNguyen-el5qk]

I found two frogs in my outside Fishtank and I don’t know if it’s poisonous or not

[@ecobbler2005]

I have a fish pond 4x2m can I get frogs in there

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely you can Bernard, as long as there is good access and exit for them, frogs will travel up to a mile or so to find habitat and of course they only really use the pond in the spring/summer months for breeding and feeding, then it's off into the undergrowth and surrounding vegetation to look for further food and eventually somewhere to hibernate for the winter :) Best wishes - Joel

[@samjoseph7454]

Hi Joel, I’ve dug out my wildlife pond area but haven’t got enough subsoil. I have some gravel and slate pieces to go around the bottom, but can I add play-sand to my sub soil to fill it out more? Would that be suitable for a wildlife pond and as a planting medium? Many thanks, Sam. :)

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Sam, if you can get a few small bags of SHARP sand that will be better as it won't "stick together" so much and will be easier for planting - gravel etc in the bottom sounds fine - hope that helps, best wishes - Joel

[@samjoseph7454]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thanks for the tip Joel! Have a great day. Keep up the awesome work/videos :)

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@samjoseph7454 You're very welcome Sam, I really appreciate your support - it does make a difference :) Best wishes, Joel

[@TheExpertGamer-bn8kg]

Hi Joel I am pretty sure i left a comment earlier this year or last year about a pond we dug on the farm illive on, it has no liner and is filled by a natural spring in the corner of a grass field with a hedgerow and a woodland close by, I am ready to share some pictures and how it could improve is there any email I can send this to ?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there! Please do send some photos to me at [e-mail] and when I am back in the office after these projects I can have a look and advise - also if it is ok I have been collecting images/video from subscribers about the ponds they have made and hope to feature all of these in a video once the work projects calm down towards winter time and I'd love to feature yours too. Look forward to hearing from you - best wishes, Joel

[@TheExpertGamer-bn8kg]

@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks for the reply I will get on with the email now!

[@andy-the-gardener]

every garden should have a pond. a garden is not really complete without one.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Andy - so sorry for not getting back to you sooner, I've been away for 10 days in France and just trying to catch up with everyone now. I agree with every word you've said though :) Hope you are well, best wishes - Joel

[@brianking9372]

How can I get rid of leaves out my pond delete keep coming into the pond how do I stop it coming in the pond please

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Brian, leaves can be a problem of course with adjacent trees but this should only pose a problem in Autumn when the trees are shedding leaves - or on extremely windy days! In the Autumn, if you have the time, for the few weeks that they shed leaves it is best to use a net and scoop off the leaves or you can net over the pond area, but this will stop birds being able to access it and drink from it. You may already know of course but leaves will make the water high in nutrient and cause the water to become murky when they settle on the bottom of the pond. I hope this helps a little - best wishes, Joel

[@cookingandgardeningwithson2765]

Big like 👍 bhai

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Big thanks to you! :) Appreciated - Joel

[@liammcgirr1778]

I’ve just saved some frogspawn from a puddle, was reported on a local Facebook group so I’ve put it in my pond only accidentally picked up a newt too... is there a chance there is newt eggs too or was it snacking on the frogspawn?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

I first read that as someone had reported you on a Facebook group for taking frogspawn! ;) If it helps, newts lay their eggs individually, usually under leaves - they carefully fold the leaf around to protect the egg - but yes they do eat frogspawn, is there a pond nearby to where the spawn was found in the puddle? Just wondering how far the newt has travelled to find this "buffet"! Many thanks - Joel

[@liammcgirr1778]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton haha good one! There’s a river nearby but no ponds. Ingleby Barwick of you’ve heard of it? North east region, i went out tonight to check my pond the newts still there & it looks like some little critters are crawling all over the frogspawn, probably eating it 👎

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@liammcgirr1778 Hi Liam! Any chance you could send me a photo or two of the spawn, to [e-mail], then I can take a look and suggest more :) Thanks again, Joel

[@shaquilleoatmeal926]

I see king fishers near a river i live near And there is lots of them if im lucky i see them on a branch

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

How wonderful :) That's great to hear, I've not had the luck to see many, but when I do they really do remind you how beautiful nature can be. Thanks for letting me know - best wishes, Joel

[@chiarabay9364]

I have at least 40 frogs every year spending winter in my wildlife pond and garden but they never breed here. It’s so frustrating. I built another pond in the front garden. No breeding there either but loads of frogs etc in autumn and winter. 😢

[@nikkiwells1688]

Still awaiting frog spawn two years on from my wildlife pond. Seen a frog in the garden but still no spawn. I live in Bletchley and even our park ponds don’t have amphibians or spawn so not sure what’s going on. I have a woodland style garden but pond gets 3-4 hours of sun. Log piles galore and lots of insects in the pond. The birds love it though 😏

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hey Nikki, I bet they turn up when you're least expecting them and it sounds like you're providing a lot more habitat than just a pond. Ponds are great, don't get me wrong, but it's the other vital habitat that surrounds them and, as you point out, the log piles etc that will encourage them. Don't lose hope :) Best wishes, Joel

[@mistergingerman1837]

Found a frog in my pond, named him jefferson and now im here...

[@shanecook9653]

Do you not get mosquito issues? I am guessing cats will kill the frogs. Can you have cats and frogs?

[@kerryclark7170]

I have an 8year old turtle, Would he eat the frogs.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Not sure how big the turtle is Kerry but most species of turtles do eat frogs, particularly if they're smaller than them of course :)

[@kevineast2079]

Do gold fish eat tadpoles.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Kevin, unfortunately yes they are opportunistic feeders, but depending on the size of the fish you have, you could always take the spawn with some of the water and keep it in a separate container until they're a good size. Tadpoles get eaten by birds, newts etc too and high predation must be the reason that so many are laid in spawn. Hope this helps, best wishes - Joel

[@kevineast2079]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thank you Joel the reason for asking is that over winter the pond has become really started to get lot’s of green cotton wool like weed and some say that the fish eat it and others that the tadpoles eat it so a bit confusing

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@kevineast2079 Hey Kevin, I'm no fish expert but I think they would eat it, definitely the tadpoles, you'll see them in the shallow edges of the water so it's always best to leave some, not so the pond is choked of course but you'll probably know what I mean about the edges of the pond. Algae loves nutrient (from fish waste) and also warmth to thrive, hence it being on the edge. Here's a video about it if you get a chance to watch it - I hope this helps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2bOi31jjM2Bnck

[@tombartram6842]

I have frogs appear in my pond every year to spawn. I transfer the spawn into a plastic tub (or my goldfish will gobble it up), the taddies grow up and leave but the rest of the year I don't see ANY frogs. They must be living in my garden because there's no way out. Where do they live? I looked under piles of leaves, long grass etc, nothing. Strange!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Tom :) That's great re "saving" some spawn so they get a chance to survive, and very thoughtful! Frogs usually surprise me when they appear in various parts of the garden, but they do leave the ponds once breeding has finished and should be in the undergrowth looking for insects, worms etc. Your neighbours don't have cats, do they? A lot of my frogs are taken by cats, not usually eaten of course but used as "play things" - not sure what your surroundings are like but foxes, hawks, crows, heron will feast on them too and even hedgehogs are known to take them... Best wishes - Joel

[@tombartram6842]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton hi and thanks for your response. Yes I have cats but as you know they bring their trophies indoors or at least leave their half-eaten victims lying about so I'd know if it's them. The frog population is descended from a batch of spawn I nicked from the wild a few years ago and raised in a washing up bowl full of rainwater. (I was warned not put them in my pond as, apart from predation, you might introduce a foreign virus) Like I say, the garden is walled on all sides. I deliberately left a 10ft square grow wild to provide a habitat. My only theory is they skulk in the pond itself, which is semi covered by a mass of water mint, and only emerge at night. Is this possible? If they detect that they're in a dangerous environment can they live in a pond all the time? The presence of frogs is is further hinted at by the paucity of crawling insects.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@tombartram6842 Hi again Tom, yep they're active at night for sure, I remember trying to get night footage of them swarming the pond to breed but as soon as I stepped foot outside the door they seemed to know and scarper or dive down to the bottom of the pond! They love damp evenings as this is when the slugs seem to like it too :) I have a good feeling they're still in your garden somewhere, but they are known to travel up to 1 mile to find water sources and they may have dispersed so that one resource doesn't get over-run and then not be able to provide sufficient food sources etc. Let me know when you see them! :) Best wishes, Joel

[@phedrob3735]

If the frogs don't come, can you buy frog spawn legally?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Rob - it's actually illegal to sell frogspawn and I do know that auction-sites are watched/monitored for this very reason. However, frogs WILL find a water source and are known to travel up to 500 metres, toads will travel up to five MILES to do the same, so if you are planning a pond I guarantee in no time at all that they will find it - at this time of year they usually leave ponds and find other habitat to find food and shelter over the winter months, so if you provide a few areas with rocks/logs/leaves etc you may come across them sooner. Come Spring though you will find frogspawn :) Hope this helps - best wishes - Joel