Frog-friendly garden of the year 2003

There was great interest in the Frog Garden of the Year competition for 2003 and we received many entries. Great frog ponds come in all shapes and sizes and, apart from being a haven for frogs, can have many purposes. Some ponds are ornamental features in a landscaped garden; others are an important water storage for a rural property; still more might be a great place to take a dip on a hot day; and some are a combination of all these things.

As a result, it is difficult to compare frog ponds, it is certainly impossible to draw a a clear set of checkpoints for comparison. The judges consider all sort of things such as: the effort that has gone into making it "frog-friendly"; the provision of habitat where there otherwise would not have been any; design features that are clearly provided just for frogs; and more.

This year, it was decided to award several prizes rather than have to choose. The judges selected two joint winners (whose ponds are very different) and three recipients of special prizes (whose great work deserved our recognition).

It gives us great pleasure to present the winners of the 2003 Frog Watch Garden of the Year.

Joint winners

David Pace from Anglesea, Victoria

+ 68 kb A wonderful setting for a wonderful pond.

+ 50 kb In the early days of the pond, there was less vegetation.

+ 65 kb Callings sites and hiding places abound.

+ 57 kb Frog Garden of the Year - under construction.

David says that he always dreamed of having a frog pond in the garden. A naturally occurring low point on his rural property which backs onto the Angahook State Park in Anglesea was selected as the perfect spot and, as the immediate area around the property had no permanent water, he would be doing a great service to the local frogs.

A friend who had an excavator was able to do the earth works, creating several mounds for the planting of indigenous vegetation and forming the pond which measured approximately 15 square metres. David chose not to use a pond liner.

A layer of soil and then pebbles were placed throughout the pond. The pebbles stabilised the soil and kept it from clouding, while the soil was an excellent plant medium. A variety of indigenous plants were planted directly into the soil. Large boulders and river stones were added, along with large dead tree branches which serve as excellent perches for local birds.

The plant life has bloomed. Perhaps the only concern that David has about vegetation is that the nardoo has literally taken over the entire surface of the pond - all from a single cutting!

There was already a naturally occurring population of Common Froglets (Crinia signifera) and Southern Brown Tree Frogs (Litoria ewingi) in the backyard that had set up residence in and under tubs of water plants that had been growing in preparation for the future pond. These species established themselves almost immediately and have bred consistently and David says that it wasn't long before Pobblebonks (Limnodynastes dumerili) joined the chorus around the pond.

Last year's winner, Peter Hohaus, had some great advice about controlling mosquitoes. David tells us about his experience.

In the evening of the warm summer months you will find many animals around the pond, including the Eastern Grey Kangaroos who drink from the pond and eat any of the vegetation that reaches the edge (especially water ribbon and water plantation) and, of course, our frog garden of the year joint-winner David Pace. He sits on the small deck that overhangs the ponds and listens to the chorus around him. His dream of having a frog pond has been realised.

Brentan Doeven from Warrnambool, Victoria

+ 57 kb Brentan's pond provides water for the property as well as being a haven for frogs.

+ 70 kb Fallen timber placed at the edge of the pond provide shelter for frogs.

+ 62 kb Vegetation close to the edge provides shelter and calling sites for species such as the Southern Brown Tree Frog.

+ 77 kb This multi-purpose pond is even used for a spot of recreational boating.

Our second winning entrant, Brendan Doeven, provides a home for pond-dwelling species of western Victoria. His "pond" is found on a rural property, 20 minutes from Warrnambool.

The pond's initial purpose was not to provide habitat for frogs. It was constructed for the important requirements of a working rural business. And important rural recreational activities.

Brentan tells us that it is home to thousands of frogs as well as other creatures like dragonflies, water snails, and ducks.

Farm dams are not always great habitat for frogs, particularly when ducks are present, but it does not require large expense or effort to make them a frog paradise.

As Brentan has done, the important thing is to provide shelter at the water's edge for frog to take shelter in (where they can hide from ducks) and then to ensure that there is suitable vegetation for breeding activity. Some species float amongst vegetation such as reeds, other species (such as the Southern Brown Tree Frog) prefer vegetation that droops into the water (for example, grass tussocks on the water's edge).

The local frogs have obviously found what they need here as, Brentan says, there are lots of different types of frogs and when they breed in late spring there are thousands of cute little tadpoles.

Special prizes

West Balcatta Primary School from Balcatta, Western Australia

+ 68 kb The edge of the pond is also a sculptural installation.

+ 27 kb A lot of thought went into the design of the West Balcatta pond.

Room 5 of West Balcatta Primary School went to so much effort to create their frog pond that they could not go unrewarded. We were amazed especially by the planning and the 23 page power-point presentation that covered all areas of their journey from initial idea to finished product.

It all began with a list of pros and cons. The positive reasons for building a frog pond were:

• to observe the frogs
• to learn about the frogs' life cycle
• to keep school tidy
• to help endangered frogs

whilst on the negative side were:

• too expensive
• people could step in the pond
• too hard to keep clean
• others not caring

The students were responsible for the whole process which included dividing the jobs, deciding on the size, sourcing and pricing the materials, obtaining permission from the principal, holding a cake stall to raise money, and final installation.

No sign of frogs yet but we hope to stay up-to-date with frog stories from these go-getting pond-builders.

Eltham Secondary College from Eltham, Victoria

+ 66 kb Many hands make light work - a theory being tested by the Eltham volunteer landscapers.

+ 62 kb Students proudly display the result of the hard work.

Another fantastic effort from a school, this time Eltham Secondary College in Victoria.

The idea for a working pond system came from a group of Year 9 and 10 students. Raising funds was a challenge, but problems such as drainage, damage by rabbits, vandalism, leaky pond liner, the impact of the drought on new plants and getting the rest of the school community involved were other problems that were overcome.

One of the students, Lachlan McGough, tells us:

The photographs show that a lot of work has gone into the construction of the ponds - an admirable feature alone. The judges felt that the pond (at least in the photographs) was not yet a great habitat but was well on its way and, with the amount of enthusiasm shown in the pictures, may well be a contender for the Frog Garden of the Year 2004.

We've been informed that the pond system is already looking much better than in the photos that were sent so, for all those potential 2004 entrants, these gung-ho students may be the team to beat.

Josh Hilton from Warrandyte, Victoria

+ 77 kb The Hilton pond is an important feature in this garden.

+ 73 kb There's plenty of hiding places here.

Josh is a young Frog Watcher (just 8 years old) from Warrandyte, a suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne. Josh caught our attention as a dedicated conservationist, interested not just in frogs but paying attention to all the other animals that might visit his family's garden.

Following notification of his special prize, Josh sent us (and you) some other great advice regarding having a frog-pond in your garden.