Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Bringing in House Plants etc

On October 3rd I brought in most of our house plants.  This included this huge fern that has taken over our dining room.  Yesterday I finally figured I had better give it a good watering and bring in the last few plants outside.  I needed to get a good drip pan under this fern.  It is in a long shallow terra cotta pot and it will be a long winter for it inside. I had it sitting on some heavy duty aluminum foil. I knew that wouldn't last because it is so heavy to move around.
My only choice for this job was a big stainless steel pan I had under the plants in the other room. So I gathered individual saucers for the other plants. Just imagine my surprise when I moved that big ole pan to the floor for the exchange I found a tree frog sitting in that pan. It appeared to be hunting sow bugs. I dashed back to my DB's room to ask him to come take photos for me.
Isn't he just adorable?
No, not my DB the little frog. Although my DB is adorable too.
We watched him eat at least 3 sow bugs. I didn't have sense enough to use the video setting on my camera to get  the action. He was so fast. I was just amazed.
Then you could tell he was full. He didn't bother with them at all. He started hopping around the pan a little. Maybe he was looking for his winter home? We had set the pan back up on the table so my DB didn't have to stand on his head to take pictures. We (I) was so excited I took the cards in to the computer to see if any pictures turned out good.
Unfortunately while we were away he hopped out of the pan. We couldn't find him. All we could find was this and ...
 
this. Possibly his room mates. They weren't saying if he was staying with them or not.

His winter home was on the floor at the moment he departed the table top.  I hope he found which plant he came in with and snuggled back down for a long winters nap. I played a tree frog call last night in hopes it might react. I guess it is just the wrong time of year. He wasn't to be fooled.
This episode made me glad that I don't put poison on my plants before I bring them inside. I just hose them off good and hope for the best. I think the best happened. Have you ever brought in more than your plants when you bring them inside?


27 comments:

  1. I spent the weekend doing this too. Last year, I found a solid green frog that had hitchhiked in on a bromeliad.

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  2. Lizards are almost always tucked in a plant around here. Just look at the staghorn!

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  3. Hi Lisa,

    Isn't he lovely, such a sweet little chap. Great to be that close, and see the frog in action. Hope he survives the winter.....

    I brought a tiny lizard in one year..... I released him into the rockery. It is my only sighting of a lizard in the UK.

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  4. What a fun discovery ... a little bonus of excitement in what is otherwise a mundane job.

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  5. Bringing in plants often is an adventure. Lisa, you had a lot more fun with your frog than we had with one hitching a ride deep into a bonsai a couple of years ago.

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  6. I brought in all my plants back in Sept. as we had a cold spell. I think tree frogs (assuming he's local and din't come shipped with the plant) can survive outside over winter, too. S/he sure is cute!!

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  7. Oh, Lisa, this made me laugh! Now I wonder where he has snuggled up to stay for the winter--who knows, you might find him under your Christmas tree one morning:)

    I'm glad you showed the photos of DB trying to capture the tree frog--I had no idea they were so tiny.

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  8. What a little cutie! Glad you were able to get a few pics! I would freak out if I had a frog in my house though! Lizards do not bother me here cause we are so used to them, but frogs??? Oh no!

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  9. Hi Lisa,

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    janealvarado83@gmail.com

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  10. I thought I had commented. hmmm I came to look at this guy again. I hope he found a place to live that is green. We had a little tree frog croaking in our yard today. They make a big sound for such little guys. Cute pix.

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  11. There seems to be an epidemic of "bringing in the house plants" going around these days. We've brought in several tree frogs over the years. Also, a katydid that chose to remain silent until our bedtime. The worst was an assassin bug that Jo decided to pick up and return outdoors. She learned the hard way that assassin bugs can inflict a painful bite.

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  12. Oh, Lisa, what FUN! I wish that I could manage to bring in some fun additions, but I think that the sow bugs are the only ones who venture inside with my houseplants. Sadly.

    I'm with you on the poison, though. I have quite a few friends who douse theirs with a systemic before bringing them in, but... I just can't bear to do it.

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  13. This guy is much more fun than the snails I usually bring in... I hope he found a nice place for the winter

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  14. Lisa girl what a surprise !
    I love the little guy and I hope he does have a safe place or at least comes out of hiding long enough for you to put him outside in a good area to snuggle down into .. and YES ! it is a perfect slip not to have put poison on the plants (I understand the need some times with house plants of course) but wow ! nature must have blocked your hand ? LOL
    That was a great post .. I love frogs : )
    Joy
    PS Holy Moses girl you have a lot of house plants ! I have a black thumb when it comes to them .. BIG sigh !

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  15. Your frogs are just amazing. Your photos are spectacular.

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  16. I like the frog but not the bugs. This is why I never put my plants outdoors. I fear bugs coming into the house that hadn't been here before. Yuck. Do I have a bit of bug phobia? I'm quite sure the answer is yes.

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  17. Wow that's a great looking from the real ones ok too lol, looks like its been dipped in mud and set, great camouflage.

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  18. A nice surprise. I hope he is snuggling somewhere. Maybe you will hear him sing.

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  19. Oh, my gosh that little froggie is so tiny. And, so cute! I don't spray my houseplants either. (And they ALL spend the summer outdoors - including the orchids.) It's survival of the fittest around here...

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  20. Luckily no surprises! It's been so nice again outdoors that it was hard not to put them all out on the deck, but I didn't want to have to deal with all that clean-up again. Your ferns are gorgeous.

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  21. I adore your huge fern, I don't have one here...
    I am an admirer of frog. Glad that you show me your cool discovery Lisa!

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  22. What a cute story about your little tree frog. I try to find all of mine before I bring in the plants, but I always miss one or two.~~Dee

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  23. Dear Lisa,
    I love this story....
    I often bring in a praying mantis to help with any bugs that cling to the plants.
    Your tree frog is so tiny and darling...
    Enjoy him....
    Sherry

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  24. It's that time of year! Great stuff.

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  25. What a story! I don't think I've ever brought in more than scale.

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  26. My plants have been indoors for several weeks now, and just two nights ago our cocker spaniel got very excited about the plants in the corner, so thinking that possibly a mouse had hidden there, I moved all the plants out and cleared the space so Sambo wouldn't spill everything in his excitement. Much to my surprise I found a tiny tree frog trying to hide there. I returned him to the outdoors so he could find a suitable winter home. Sambo finally gave up and lost interest in the area and all plants are back in place again. :-)

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  27. Lisa, this is such a wonderful post!
    Loved hearing about your tree frog, and seeing such great photos.

    I once picked some cotton bolls from a field and arranged them in a vase in my bedroom...halfway through the winter, I woke up one morning and found my ceiling covered with itsy-bitsy spiders. ekkkkk!

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