Frogs and toads

February and March are important months for frogs (pictured) and toads, as warming temperatures and spring sunshine mark the start of the mating season. Ponds billow with frog spawn, while strings of toad spawn are draped over aquatic plants. These amphibians gobble up vast quantities of garden pests, like slugs and snails. Encourage them by creating your own frog and toad abode, near a pond if possible. Loosely fill a 30cm-deep round hole with logs, piling them above ground level into a low mound. Place old stones over the mound, half-cover it with soil, leaving multiple entrances, then sprinkle wild-flower seeds on top.