Barbara, I will try to read or at least skim over that book (have difficulty concentrating for too long now) and next time I'm at the hardware store will get a respirator then, oh with glasses, goggles and that, it is not going to be easy. They are a little more helpful and knowledgeable generally than big box stores. I stuffed a bandanna into the masks, know from reading about other things small particulate especially liquid still can get through, but I'm old and if one thing doesn't get me it's going to be another, none pretty. I feel I'm ok for now, feel sorry for people who do that for a living. I know for fact the young guy who I FINALLY got to come in years ago and spray for cockroaches and fleas got some pneumonia-like affliction, and we both agreed it was probably from his work with chemicals. He used no protection other than pants and long shirt IIRC and did it all day, every day, inside and out, much of the year. I've always hated any sprays in my house for anything, one reason I like to stay independent because you have no choice in almost all community living situations. They spray on a regular basis; it's mandatory, and I'm not real confident they have but minimal concern for the occupants or people who do it, just so things "look" nice. Sometimes there is no other way. But it seems they spray routinely as a preventive. In spite of taking so many precautions and doing my homework as best I could w/new equipment and things I've never attempted before, I ran into several little problems. The spray itself once you get it going is easy enough, but anything can go wrong at any time. It's just faith that the dial actually delivers the correct dilution. I'll only mention a couple of things but there were more, that is nasty stuff to work with and hard to clean. I need some longer rubber gloves as found one unused pair left of surgical gloves, and by the time I was done, my hands felt slimy, could be from sweat, but I think some got in, washed several times with soap and water. The other thing was maybe stupid on my part but the way they tell you to clean the dial container. I could work at the faucet with that because there's bare ground, but you have to unscrew it while the spray part is still on the hose, rinse out as well as you can, on the other side of the two-way diverter I have there, and it takes several rinsings to get it out. NEVER unscrew the dial part from the hose connection until you've got it as clean as you can, why later. Then you screw it back on and clear out the spray part and uptake tube, says two short bursts (and even rinsed those other parts under running water, don't think instructions said. I did five bursts and maybe shouldn't have. But either way, when you finally think you are done, turn off the water, start to unscrew at the hose connection, the pressure left in the hose squirts water. And I noticed in spite of my care, there was still slight evidence of milky liquid in the container, much diluted but still there. Being alone, few people or pets ever come into my yard. I let the cat out for the night, he's back, hope he didn't walk through that area, it can take awhile to dry and for things to develop. So it's a good thing I quit when I did and not attempt anything in the front. Maybe from now on I'll just do those several specific plants I did and probably not as often as necessary because I procrastinate anyway. No way could I have suited up and done that if it had been hotter, so that's a future consideration. I don't know how other people deal with this stuff. It was quite the learning experience. If somebody locally could convince me that organics really work and show evidence of clean roses like I see so much here (this was mostly to save my cherry trees and a few other congregating plants that aren't blooming), it won't seem like as much trouble because spraying is trouble, too. Kelp I don't worry about any of it, practiced with that in my pump sprayer. Well, since I've done another one of my diatribes, I was thinking about writing a blog in our local paper about my experience with iminicloprid. The Bayer product for spraying that has evidently flown off the shelves. Here we are with no honeybees, and we want to keep our pretty blooms and kill bumblebees and other pollinators? At least I thought of them and took off the blooms or targeted things that aren't blooming now. Madness. But I think I'll hold off on that because I don't feel comfortable writing on one of those things, few read them anyway. My neighbor across the street says he has no JB's.

There are a lot of bog plants that would do very well in a wet yard. I would try the larger ones such as broadleaf or narrow leaf cattail and bullrushes. These plants can survive in just damp soil and in deeper water too if your area fluxuates during the year. Most bog plants do not need any special type of soil to grow in so you don't need to change your soil. If you have standing water, then mosquitos could be a problem, but BT donuts will control them fine. This is my marsh garden which has cattails and arrow head in it. There are also some other types of bog plants. Here is a link that might be useful: Cattail marsh garden

Hello Gordon. Sorry to get back to you so late. Long winter. Fred's recipe for bog garden soil follows. He is a regular contributor to this forum and though I don't know the man personally, he seems a thoughtful and intelligent person. I don't think he'd mind me cutting and pasting his recipe that I found from an earlier posting. Here it is... Creating an artificial bog garden Strange as it may sound the first step to building a bog garden, dig a hole! The area can be whatever shape you like about 18 24 inches deep and slightly raised from the surrounding bed area to keep runoff from entering the bog (this is explained shortly). Locate the bog garden where it will get full sun at least half the day, preferably afternoon sun. The worst part is done! Now line the hole with rubber pond liner. DonÂt worry if there are sharp roots etc. that could puncture the liner. A few leaks do not matter. Begin filling the bog with the following combination: add 1 bale (4cuft) of sphagnum peat, mix in 100lbs of silica sand and a big mess of conifer needles (white pine is my favorite). Add rain, distilled, or dehumidifier water till saturated. This is the second hardest job because peat is extremely hydrophobic. Repeat above until the bog is full and fully saturated. Sculpt the "dirt" such that it is low in the center and higher around the edges. Because it is saturated and all the air is worked out, it will not settle. If you wish to plant a Fen type garden (ph neutral and slightly more nutrient rich) add 50 Â 100 lbs of calcium rich lime in place of the conifer needles. Most species of Cypripedium will prefer this to the bog garden. I made the mistake of using crushed oyster shell, it added too much saltÂso donÂt use this for calcium! Time to plant! Place plants that like more water near the center of the bog where it is low and plants that like less water around the edges. This works well because the edges dry out far faster than the center. Be patient! A bog garden takes at least 2 years to become well established as a mini ecosystem. DonÂt pull any weeds that you are not sure are weeds! Some really good stuff can come to your garden from peat bales. But keep seed heads of sedges and other more aggressive plants trimmed so more tender plants will have a better chance of survival. The cardinal rule! NEVER EVER EVER WATER WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN RAIN, DISTILLED, OR DEHUMIDIFIER WATER! TAP WATER WILL KILL A BOG GARDEN IN A SEASON AS WILL ANY SORT OF FERTILIZER! Plants suitable for bog gardens and sources There are a number of plants that are suitable for bog gardens, many are readily available others far too scarce. Listed here are some of the plants I have had success with and enjoy in my garden. Remember when looking for plants, be sure to buy from sources that propagate their stock or (in the case of orchids) are from documented salvage operations. These are plants that were removed from habitats just before the bulldozers come in to build the next strip mall. This list is NOT exhaustive and you may have luck with plants I have failed with or think IÂm crazy for planting "that". CARNIVOROUS PLANTS Sundews, Drosera filiformis, D. rotudifolia, and D. intermedia Sarracenia Species especially purpurea and those that produce best pitchers in spring. Venus Fly Trap Dionea muscipula. IÂve found it reasonably hardy here (my plants have survived -5F) UNCOMON PLANTS Bog rosemary Andromeda and Heather/Heath Caluna species. Sedges and rushes especially corkscrew rush and cotton grass (sedge).Be careful some of these can get out of hand! Gentians, great fall flowers. Patience is required to get them established. Blue and yellow eyed grasses and smaller members of the Iris (Iridaceae) family. Call me crazy but no bog garden would be complete without Poison sumac (yes it is in my garden). Most wonderful fall color, but donÂt touch! Orchids Cypripedium or ladyÂs Slippers, C. acaule (pink) for the bog garden, C. reginae (showy), and C. candidum (white) for the "Fen" and C. pubescens (Yellow) and itÂs relatives for a partly sunny spot in the Perennial bed. Fall blooming Spiranthes or LadyÂs Tresses, Small, fragrant, and a great companion to fringed gentian. These self seed in the bog! Platanthera species, the fringed orchids, especially P. ciliaris (yellow) and blephariglottis (white). There is also P. psycodes (purple) but it is NOT an easy plant to grow! Calopogon tuberosa, the grass pink. Showy and easy, Epipactis gigantea, giant hellborine, great if you can find a source, Dactylorhiza spp. (European) a good garden candidate, and Bletilla spp. A great garden subject needing no special care. Sources See the web sites for the above at www.orchidmall.com click on sources! If you have questions feel free to contact me at: fbess7600@msn.com.

Its an awkward kind of space. When I get stumped on what to plant, I drive around and try to get ideas. Look at what people around there plant on their north sides and try to visualize it there. I think that is what I would do. I grow quite of few sun loving plants on my north side. You could do it like a section of low growing and then a taller plant and then repeat the low growing then the taller and on down the length of the wall. On that narrow row area, I'd keep it very simple and use low maintenance plants that can stand drought. If you really want to go fancy with it, you could dig a narrow bed in front of the wall (or better yet, a gently curved one) and plant groupings of rounded plants and some vertical ones. Perennials and ornamental grasses would be nice mixed. Then plant something that spills over the wall and use colors that compliment each other. Maybe some kind of ground cover like Gregg Dalea, various sedums or a creeping thyme, something that likes it dry so you won't have to worry so much about watering with it up higher. It would have good drainage up high like that and the soil might get on the dry side pretty quickly with the wall and all. Pick your colors. Then pick your basic shapes. Then choose your plants. Thats a good rule of thumb for design.