Listening to the 'Ribbit, Ribbit' of toads on a hot summer night is one of my earliest (and fondest) memories from childhood. Little did I know how much good they were doing for the garden, eating all sorts of destructive pests every night so I could better enjoy the garden by day. Since toads are nocturnal, they need a safe, dark, cool and damp place to hide during the day. You can easily provide such a place in your garden to invite one or more toads to take up residence and help with the garden chores!

First, locate a cool, shady area in your garden, or arrange your containers to form a shady, protected spot that you can keep damp. Toads like a spot where they can feel safe during the day, so be sure to choose a location with little or no foot traffic and where no pets will harass the resting toad.

If your container garden is positioned on soil, then providing a toad house can be as simple as digging a burrow six to eight inches wide and four to six inches deep, lining it with damp dead leaves or bark, and covering with a piece of wood or broken pottery.

If your container garden is on rock, consider stacking some large rocks or bricks in one shaded, damp corner, leaving a reinforced opening inside large enough for a toad to make a home. Line the bottom of the rock or brick home with soil and leaves. The stack of rocks or bricks will also attract insects as food for the toad, making it especially inviting. Position some plants around the rock home to provide shade and a sense of hiding and protection.

If your container garden is on wood, brick, cement or other hard surface, consider building a toad house from scraps of wood or from a terra cotta pot or section of clay pipe. Toads like to burrow, so either fill the bottom area of the toad house with moist soil and leaves, or place the toad house on top of a wide, flat container of dirt, low enough to the ground for the toad to easily get inside.

Be sure the opening of your toad house is large enough for your toad to get in and out easily, and the room inside is big enough. Research your area to find out what kinds of toads live locally, and make the house at least twice as big in all dimensions. Also, remember that female toads are larger than the males, and size the toad house accordingly.

Always be sure to have two entrances to your toad house – the toad will need a way to escape if it is harassed by predators. Also, keep the area most and provide water nearby. Your toad will want to soak in the water but will not swim, so ½ to 1 inch of water is fine.

Be aware that toads are very sensitive to toxic chemicals and insecticides. Toads, like all amphibians, breath and absorb water through their skin. If any poisons get on their skin it can make them very sick or kill them, so avoid using any harsh chemicals in your garden if you wish to attract (and keep) a toad. Even decomposing cigarette butts are harmful to toads, so if you smoke, do not drop the butts in your garden.

Once you have attracted a toad or two and enticed them to stay, try to refrain from bothering them while they rest. In time they may get used to you, and may even let you pick them up and handle them, but always do so carefully and gently and do your best not to frighten them. Your toad or toads will be a welcome addition to your garden, and in time may even feel like part of the family!