I use similar techniques - off-the-shelf sphagnum moss (left as long
fibres) and grown in a large polystyrene box that is used to ship
tomatoes and the like.  These are great because they cost nothing (you
pick one up from the local fruit & veg shop to carry home your F&V) and
have drainage holes built in.  All it takes is to remove the label and
trim off the "castlated" bits around the top and you have a simple
mini-bog.  Our moss also grows back sometimes - as do some of the plants
growing in the moss before it was collected (ferns, sedges?, etc).
>Does anyone know if this kind moss is an acceptable substitute for live
>sphagnum?  Since live Sphagnum moss is extremely hard to get a hold of,
>what do most of you use for a substitute?  Or where do you get your
>live sphagnum?
I normally ignore the "live" bit and use plain-old long fibre sphag.  The only
live sphag I have was grown from green tips of sphag from the various pots
and it seems to take a very long time to get any useful amount to use for 
potting with...
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|   John Taylor  [The Banshee]   |   Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology  |
|   rphjt@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au   |        Department of Applied Physics       |
|   MOKING IS A HEALTH HAZARD.   |        Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA      |
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