A Visit From Mr. Toad

     I saw him as I was weeding.  He was on guard duty-- hunkered down beside "Double Delight," and ready for any intruder.  I had disturbed him as I reached for a sweet william seedling that was uprooted.  The seedling had been displaced by his maneuvers as he prepared his lookout post in the sandy soil.  I suppose he viewed it as just another piece of equipment in his arsenal of camouflage.
      "Pardon me, Mr. Toad," I said, "didn't see you there.  Stormy weather we've been having!  Have you seen any aphids today?"
      Being a rather quiet fellow by nature, our conversation was brief.  He had to get back to work, and I left him to it-- grateful to have him in my employ.

     Encourage toads to inhabit your garden by providing them with a cozy home.  Knock a chunk out of the rim of an old terra cotta pot, and turn it upside down among your flowers.  This provides a cool, shaded place for toads and acts as a home base for their bug catching operations.  Get really creative and stencil "Mr. Toad" or "Hop Inn" above the entrance along with some painted-on flowers popping up around the perimeter of the pot.  How about a picket fence too?  Have fun!

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Copyright (C) J. Kovalcsik 1999