For plant size, I was looking towards a low-growing ( Jenny - that first pic reminds me of the Candytuft that I've got planted between the pond and patio - it's just a huge sea of white flowers at the moment. Actually, here's a couple pics to show what's been done. The first pic shows the edge after I removed the rockwork and exposed the liner. This was the lowest point of the pond edge before I started, and it needed a bit of work anyway. Second pic shows the results of the day's labor. I reinforced the edge with some lightweight concrete blocks (pulling the liner over and burying it behind the blocks) under the rock cover, and each of the white tags is a Crocosmia bulb. We will have to wait and see how many actually come up. And the last shot is the current work-in-progress. There used to be some huge ornamental grasses around the skimmer that the previous owner had planted (flagstone), but they made accessing the skimmer a lot harder so away they went. I'll be moving the Coral Bells to the front edge of the skimmer and plant some Canna where the C.B.'s are now. The flagstone will also be replaced with a dock cover in the near future, and I've got some red Asiatic lilies that need a new home, so they'll probably go next to the Candytuft where the mound of Coreopsis currently resides. A continual work-in-progress (isn't everything?) Thanks, all!

Here is a small list of wetland plants I found on the East Michigan Environmental Action Council website. Native is always good when it comes to worries about invasiveness. :) Another good link I found is below. Lots of information on that site! Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum) Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) Ironweed (Vernonia missurica) Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) Brenda Here is a link that might be useful: Huron River Watershed Council native plant tips

I recently heard a negative article on glyophosphate, which is the active ingredient in roundup and those type products. Apparently research has shown that it lasts longer than advertised in soils and affects organisms of many types. There might even have been something about ground water contamination. Search on glyophosphate and see what you get. Though I will still use these products on occasion, it will be very limited, and NOT around the pond. Hand pulling after rain, weed barriers, mulches, and careful plant selection of as many natives as possible are my preferred methods of weed control. Please use any chemicals according to label directions and heed cautions. Use them sparingly, and be aware of not only where you are putting it, but also where it will end up. Thanks! -TT

I understand, Seil. More than 25 years ago, I would leave an overhead, oscillating sprinkler going over large areas of my Newhall garden, requesting the community gardening staff to turn them off when they left for the day, on triple digit days. The horse manure mulch disappeared quickly. The foliage was huge, plants even more so, and they flowered amazingly. Water was cheap and plentiful, so not an issue there and then. There were no disease or insect issues. The plants were fully clothed in very dense, durable foliage and there was no such thing as sun scald nor Flat Headed Apple Borers which became great issues once that type of watering had to be discontinued due to availability and cost. Black spot and mites were frequent issues with the own root plants we propagated as volunteers at The Huntington. I learned early when bringing home any new plant such as those to pull off all of the foliage before bringing it into the garden. I had an area in filtered sun under a tree where I kept a pile of horse manure. I'd clump the newly arrived own roots in their pots together, surround and fill between them with the manure, often inside them as mulch, then overhead water until new foliage began developing. No mites, no diseases and the plants exploded into growth quickly. A bit of hardening them off in larger cans and higher levels of heat and light and they were ready for planting once they'd filled the five gallon cans. Growing them up in larger cans also permitted me to move them around to see what position was best to their liking. It often made quite a difference. At the beach, I had a number of customers who regularly used my "proprietary blend" of Ultra Fine and Miracle Grow sprayed every two weeks except between the middle of July through the middle of October. In the Perma Fog, it prevented disease, eliminated the constant aphids and saw flies and kept really terrible things there, like one lady's beloved and hated Paul Neyron, viable. He caught her heart in books and she was determined to grow him. He languished until I suggested the Ultra Fine and MG foliar application. She had severe bronchitis, but made sure she brought me a bouquet of beautiful Paul Neyron from her bush! Used during the heat, that mixture did burn, but when there weren't heat and light intensities to contend with, it worked wonders. NO way I could have ever used it in any garden at home! I tried it once, learned my lesson the hard way right there and then! Anything presented as being even slightly phytotoxic WILL burn here. I am in total agreement with your walking the roses daily. I can't imagine having them unless I wanted to walk them every chance I got. Each has its own personality, likes, dislikes, needs and will quickly let you know if you don't provide them. It's the best way not only to head off problems early, but also to detect sports. They can happen so quickly right in front of you and seemingly behind your back. A big part of the serendipity for me! Kim