Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
WHO HELPS YOU OUT IN THE GARDEN? Is it your spouse? Or is it, perhaps, something which flies, hops or slithers? Here at A Garden for the House, there are a number of creatures who make themselves useful. Take, for instance, the handsome frog pictured up top. He and his kin lounge in a fountain in my rose garden during the day, and eat countless harmful bugs at night. And here are some other friends who pitch in and help without being asked:
Anyone remember Gerta the Garter Snake? Many of you said hello to her last summer. The rest of you shrieked when I showed you these pictures. She has returned, after what must have been a very long winter rest. I’m happy to have her around — she consumes an enormous number of harmful insects.
Other great insect eaters are the toads who linger in my Herb and Kitchen Gardens. I found the youngster pictured up top hopping merrily across the lawn the other day. The lawn had just been mowed, so he (or she) is wearing tiny blades of grass as a stylish hat.
Then there is the colorful, black-and-red-striped turtle who wandered into my Woodland Garden. Maybe one of you can tell me the kind of turtle this is. (Update: Reader Dawn G. says it’s a box turtle). Like frogs, toads and snakes, turtles include insects in their diet, too.
Consuming thousands of mosquitoes each evening are the Chimney Swifts who spend their summers in one of the uncapped chimneys here. On rare occasions a swift will lose its grip, and drop, Santa Claus-like, into the house. I’ve become adept at rescuing these birds which are on the Endangered Migratory Birds List. I photographed the one above (it is clinging to my bedroom door-frame) just before releasing it outdoors.
I could go on and on, and tell you about the ladybugs and Praying Mantises who feast on aphids, or the stray cats who rid the garden of voles and moles. But I won’t, because I’d like to hear from you. Which creatures lend you a hand in the garden?
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Broken Barn Industries says
We've got the usual stuff here like red and grey squirrels, deer, garter snakes, efts, etc. The scary one: we've seen a fisher twice now! In case you're not familiar, they are pretty much the North American equivalent of the African honey badger- scary! Fortunately when he's around the crows alert everyone so I know to make sure to let Barney cat in.
Brigid says
George, the snake, is back and I saw his old skin next to the shed. I can't stand to go near my own shed now because that is where he hangs out. We have lots of bunnies, a ground hog, frogs, possums. I'm fenced in so no deer or large animals. Sorry but I hate the snake. I think he is eating mice in the shed.
Brigid
Brigid says
Wait a minute! I just looked at your pic of Gerta. George is a lot bigger than that. What kind of a snake do I have out there? It's black with a couple of white strips, horizontally, and 14 inches long.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
BBI – I have not seen a fisher, but apparently they are around this area. A friend told me his brother lost a few chickens to one.
Brigid – Sounds like the common eastern garter snake.
Dawn G. says
I have at least one black rat snake, which can get enormous and live quite a long time. I kind of like them. If we run into each other, there's this “oh, it's you” moment. Hard to tell them apart, but there is at least one that is longer than I am tall. I think she's a female because I see babies sometimes.
Oh, and i htink that's a box turtle.
I live on a farm so have lots of critters around. I have toads & frogs by the score, and they serenade me on warm spring nights. More deer than I can say. We have these pretty metallic blue swallows up at the barn as well as other birds. I see a lot of goldfinches in addition to the standard ones. And butterflies. I love the butterflies, especially the swallowtails.
We also have coyotes, bears, and foxes, so my chicken population is in constant flux. But they generally stay out of the garden.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Dawn G – On a warm evening — especially after a rain — is there any music more soothing than a choir of peepers and bullfrogs? To me it sounds like they are calling and answering each other.
Thanks for the turtle I.D. It's the first one of its kind I've seen here.
Of course the snapping turtles are due any moment…last year at this time I had at least 7 of these monsters here. They climb up from the creek and lay their eggs in my lawn and compost piles. I really don't like them.
will says
I love your photographs of the critters. Will