I liked how you observed the seeds that germinated in the sphagnum and the natural progression to a sedge environment. Incidentally, I've heard several accounts of more unusual bog plants germinating. Several people have told me that they've gotten leatherleaf just from the peat. So, here's the scientific triva question: "why don't sphagnum peat bogs get over-run with vegitation in the wild?" Along with this, how do we choose to simulate that mysterious force in our own bog gardens?

Good question on the succession in a natural community.
I thought of that when I was finishing up the last page.
The bog I visited has been around a long time! So why
wasn't it over grown.
One answer that came to me is that it takes much longer
for the succession to occur naturally than in a relatively
closed system of a man-made bog. The bog I visited was
hemmed in on two sides by a coniferous forest and on the
open side by a pool. Human activity had built a berm across
the open end and inserted a drain pipe for water to run
through into the pool.
Small willows were frequent along the margins of the bog and
were invading outward into the heart of it.
I am sure that if allowed to progress the vasculars will
eventually develop enough of a foothold to make an impact
upon the nature of the bog.
Flooding occurs in winter and with the berm across the
west end may account for some retarding of the vaculars
invasion by washing out some of the seed though with
willows the plants are capable of spreading vegetatively.
I would think the only bogs that have an extended presence
are the ones found in the northern steppes of Asia and in
Canada. Succession would be a formidable feat there!

I definitely hope to improve what kind of script I use as I want to make it easier to read and improve my imaging by
using some backgrounding on the more obscure shots. The website is free but pop-ups and the banners allow it to be so. So in a sense it is not free! Now this is a question to be pondered-I would probably get a stiff neck from looking at my navel too long!!!! Freedom?