Thanks Jason and Sandy :-) Ouch Sandy! I have limited experiece with lava rock, but I can imagine the discomfort. I think experimenting is great fun-- you never know: one day you might be the one to discover the perfect pond setup that nobody else thought of! Sorry I don't have much of a philosophy on ponds, Jason. I too just keep experimenting and hoping all goes well. Of course, reading the wealth of knowledge on this forum doesn't hurt either. :-) What you can't see in the photos is that our pump won't prime when hooked up to the skimmer,so right now there's a big black intake hose sitting on the pond bottom with a strainer designed for a sump pump attached to the end. Real beautiful. When I complained, my DH's only comment was "Well, there's the bottom drain you always wanted!" I probably should add the statistics of our pond to the bog page, but the size is roughly 15x30' x3.5'deep, the bog is a little less than 1/3 that size and about 2' deep. David or anyone else that migth still be interested-- here is a link that was helpful when we started researching bog/veggie filters. If nothing else, it has a great list of plant to try in and around ponds & bogs. Sherry Here is a link that might be useful: Nelson Water Gardens -Bog Filter Construction.pdf

Creeping Jenny, is a good candidate for you, it is not invasive, the roots are very slight and easy to pull if you don't want it there. It does well in sun or shade and is very pretty, you could also use sweet woodruff, it is a nice evergreen and blooms with a sweet white flower in the spring. It is a good ground cover that is not invasive and does better with some shade but will tolerate sun too.

I would be very interested in these plants, unfortunately, I have very little to offer in exchange. I plan to collect seeds of Gaillardia Echinacea Purpurea Aclepias incarnata as soon as they are ripe. I'm hesitant to offer, because I'm not sure how to package them, or how to guarantee their quality (I've never traded before). If all that doesn't sound too ridiculous :-), perhaps you could email me?

You might try The Aquatic Nursery in Elgin, Illinois. I don't know if he sells wholesale...maybe if you buy enough.