Spring and summer in Blake Garden bring countless babies – baby plants (and baby weeds!), baby birds, and this year baby raccoons and baby frogs.
A couple of weeks ago, we spotted three baby raccoons peering out from under the shed near the creek. One was quite the adventurer, exploring up the stream and down the stream, venturing under the bridge, and playing in the horsetails. The other two were a bit more cautious, nestled in the ivy along the bank.
We are very excited about the appearance of frogs in the square lily pond. Last Tuesday, June 16, we counted twelve baby Pacific Chorus frogs and one adult. For the last few years, we have heard vast, delightfully noisy choruses of frogs in and around Blake Garden. Visitors, especially children, often ask if we have frogs in our ponds. I’ve always explained that our formal ponds are not suitable for frogs. The sides of the pond are steep — there’s no “beach” enabling them to climb in and out. Furthermore, fish and other predators living the in ponds feed on frog eggs and tadpoles. Over the last few years though, this pond has developed a thriving, healthy ecosystem, full of plant life which has provided ample hiding places for the eggs and tadpoles. The lily pads have grown together forming a lily pad bridge for the frogs when they are ready to leave the pond. For more information about Pacific Chorus and other frogs, see http://www.fivecreeks.org.
–Dawn Kooyumjian
