Month: March 2022

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Frog bogs: Build it and they will come!

The frog bog today – four years after construction.

Frog bogs: Build it and they will come!

Have you heard our resident frog? Just months after the bog was completed in January 2018, frogs moved in and have lived there ever since. According to this video filmed soon after construction, the original frog was an Eastern Banjo Frog.

Recent recordings show that the new resident is an Eastern Common Froglet. These froglets are small (2-3cm) with skin of various shades of brown, and a low-pitched croak that is common around Melbourne throughout the year.

How to create your own bog

To attract frogs to your garden, you can easily build your own frog pond.

  1. Choose a location protected from hot sun and large amounts of falling leaves.
  2. Dig your hole and place in a liner or manufactured shell.
  3. Place sand or gravel in the bottom of the pond to help beneficial bacteria and secure your plants.
  4. Add rocks around the side of the pond to enable frogs to access your pond.
  5. Add plants to the pond. This can be done by placing weighted pots into the pond, or planting them in the pond’s gravel or soil. If planting them in the pond without pots, you’ll need to weigh them down with rocks or logs so they stay anchored.
  6. Plant plenty of plants around the pond, as well as placing mulch, logs, and rocks for a cool, shaded area for frogs to hide.
  7. Fill your pond with water and wait for frogs to arrive!

Maintaining your frog bog

Maintain your pond by removing fallen leaves and other debris, topping up water, and ensuring plants only take up one-quarter of the pond area.

Indigenous is best

Indigenous plants are best as they are preferred by local frogs. Use plants such as rushes, grasses and sedges. Other suitable plants include groundcovers or herbaceous plants, such as Desmodium gunnii (Slender Tick Trefoil), Craspedia veriabilis (Common Billy Buttons), Dichondra repens (Kidney Weed), Eryngium vesiculosum (Prickfoot), and many others.

Come in and see us for advice about the best plants for your new friends!