DIY: Toad Abode
Okay so if you know me well, or you’ve seen my IG stories, you’ll know I have a weird obsession with toads... I am not sure why I love these little amphibians but I do! And I love to have them around our garden; so one day I decided to set up a little toad house for them to retreat to, and it basically just escalated from there. LOL
So you’re probably wondering why would I want to have toads around? Well besides being cute they are actually really helpful for the garden because they eat bugs and keep slugs/snails away! It’s really a win-win! So whether you think they are cute, or just want to have these little helpers around to keep the pests away, it’s super simple to make them a toad abode! Just make sure to have the following:
A House To Live In
So just like you and me, toads want a house to live in! I consider myself to be fairly crafty but I found it easier to just buy this cute little toad house at Menard's. They are actually on sale right now for $10 and you can snag one here! It all started with the house and from there I wanted to make it homey, because well, that's what I'm all about! So for fun, I added a bistro set, a campfire, and some decorative accents like the fireflies, walkway, and mini mushroom. It's basically like a fairy garden, but this is more fun because, toads. You'll notice there is also a little pond which brings me to the next requirement:
Moisture
Since toads are amphibians, they need to stay moist, and while they don't necessarily swim in the little pond I added, they can use it if they'd like. Bonus points if you set up your toad house by a real pond! They will likely reproduce in that and you will encourage future generations of toads! Yay!
Foliage
Toads like to hide, so by keeping some foliage close by they have an extra place to retreat to if they don't take to the toad house. And sometimes I wonder if the toad house is too hot in the summer, so the foliage is another option for them during the hot summer months. I put our toad house by my hydrangeas since they get nice and big. It's like their own little secret garden out there!
So that's it! It's that simple to set up a toad abode in your garden or any spot that would work in your yard. I hope you enjoyed this post and get lots of toad friends in your gardens with your new toad abodes!