Every garden needs a pond. Frogs don't seem to mind how small it is, and will happily breed if they are allowed to get on with it without too much disturbance.

My pond is on the south facing side of my garden. Its surface area when quite full, as here, is about 2 square yards, and its maximum depth is about 2'. Three banks slope fairly gently to allow frogs to get in and out easily. The birds also use these banks for drinking and bathing. I made it about 12 years ago out of ordinary builders plastic (about £3) with old carpet below to prevent stones puncturing the liner, and carpet above to project the plastic from sunlight and forks.

February and March are the mating months for frogs. I think we can assume that the one in the middle is a female.

And this is the result of their labours. A fresh patch in front of one a few days old

Here's the friendly pond doctor from Froglife, Nick Meade, checking one of the dozen or so female frogs who laid spawn in my pond this year. She seems to be in a rude state of health, but her spawn hasn't been doing as well as it used to recently. Perhaps he'll be able to tell me why.

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