My Tree Frog

We keep a large rain barrel down in the woodland garden.While it does collect rainwater, without a downspout only a small amount of water goes in the barrel. Rather, we fill the 65 gallon barrel with a garden hose, and the barrel then serves as a handy water reservoir. A small attached hose and a spigot on the side allow for easy filling of watering cans, which I keep nearby. This is much easier than hauling water all the way from the house to the woodland garden.

Yesterday I planned to check the level of the water in the barrel, to see if it needed to be refilled. I lifted the top off and got a surprise:

An American tree frog ( Hila Cinera) was resting on the metal grate at the top of the barrel, which is designed to keep debris out of the barrel. The frog did not seem too startled, so I took a few photos before carefully replacing the lid.

Then I began to worry about him. Maybe he was trapped. Maybe he could not find his way back out through the round opening in the lid. I was concerned that he would perish if I did not get him out. I decided to tell Lou about the frog and ask his opinion. 

"Oh, he's fine," Lou assured me. "He's been in there all summer. Sometimes I see him when I am filling the barrel, and sometimes I don't, so he knows how to come and go."

American tree frogs like to live in ponds, streams and other bodies of water, so apparently this one has decided to live inside our rain barrel. Without a better option on our property, the rain barrel has become his favorite retreat. The container's lid offers him good protection from predators, and he must enjoy the moist environment. I am sure there are plenty of small insects inside the barrel for him to consume. The thought of him down there gobbling up mosquitos makes me very happy.

Look at this photo:

Look on the left side of his mouth. Something is hanging out of his mouth. I think this may be his tongue. Or is it something he has caught? Drool? Here is a close-up:

A tree frogs uses its long tongue to catch its prey. An unfortunate insect doesn't have a chance against this sticky adhesive strip of pure muscle. The frog catches its prey and pulls it into its mouth within 15/100 of a second! 

I admit my tree frog has sneaky eyes. Nevertheless, I think the creature is cute; but then I am not a mosquito!

You may also enjoy my previous post New Options for Watering.

New Options for Watering

I have done away with the great serpent, the mighty beast I struggled so hard to control.

Stay! I would command, panting as I heaved it into its place, but when I turned my back, it would hump its body over azaleas, hydrangeas, and tender lilies, breaking branches willy nilly. When I turned to defend my plants, it would coil itself around my ankles, aiming to take me down. As I gripped its thick neck, it would hiss and spray me in the face.

The serpent is a commercial strength water hose, and I was so happy the day I brought it home. 

I am fortunate to live in an area that receives plentiful rain throughout the year, averaging about sixty inches of precipitation annually. We are blessed with many lakes, streams, and rivers, and water shortages are not common. Nevertheless, we do sometimes have droughts, usually during the hottest part of summer. Some plants are drought resistent, but others, including hydrangeas, are not. Their name comes from Greek words meaning 'water vessel', a tip that that these lovely shrubs especially need to be watered during dry spells. An assortment of hydrangeas are beginning to bloom in my garden now.Parts of my garden are far from a water source, and desperate times mean pulling a very long garden hose deep into the yard. I dream of a sprinkler system, but I doubt my budget will ever afford that.

I was fed up with flimsy, cheap hoses that burst at the first kink in their system or whenever a car inadvertently ran over them. So when I inherited a durable one from my father, I was pleased. I don't know where he found it. It's not the kind of hose one buys at a big box store. It is thick walled, black rubber, heavy duty, indestructible. A bulldozer couldn't crush it. My dad owned it for many years. Life-time guarantee? I don't know, but it outlived him, and I am sure it will also outlive me. 

The problem is, lugging that hose is heavy, hard work. It belongs in an industrial site where muscular men lift aircraft parts for fun.

This year I have done two things to replace the serpent. Thanks to modern technology, hoses can now be strong as well as lightweight. I recently purchased a hundred foot, super thin but heavy duty hose reported to be half the weight of normal hoses. I was skeptical but decided to try it out. Hooray! It looks very sturdy, indeed, and I can easily lift the entire hose with one hand.100 feet of lightweight, yet durable hose fits easily into this hose pot.

The second thing I did was to order a 65 gallon rain barrel, shaped like an urn, to serve as a water reservoir in my woodland garden. It is outfitted with a spigot and a short hose, and I can easily fill my watering can. It is wonderful to have a water source close to the thirsty plants!The urn shaped rain barrel fits easily into the woodland setting. I put mosquito control tablets in the water to prevent mosquitos from breeding.

When it quits raining, I look forward to trying out my new options!

5/13/12 Addendum: A number of commenters have asked if I depend on rain to fill the urn. Because the urn is not attached to a downspout, it would take a long time for rain to fill it. I used a hose to pre-fill it, and rainwater is a bonus. I am using the urn as a reservoir, so a water source is handily available in the woodland garden.