Bog garden this spring!

[jimscott]

I've been toying with the notion to put in a bog garden a few feet in from the streamlet that devoured my Cobra Lily last year. There are several places along its edge that are naturally swampy and I found one close by that has a raised perimeter and shaped like a sinkhole. I've got plenty of Canadian peat. Should I mix other media in? Should I line it with plastic sheeting or a kiddie pool? Wahddya think?

 

[Copper]

If it stays pretty wet leave it natural. I would add some peat or sphagnum moss. It is sandy? If not add some sand (blasting or pool) as well. I added perlite to my bog media and the plants appear to appreciate it.

Let me know if you decide to go for it as I have several types of young sarra.

 

[ALLOSAURZ]

Is the hole infull sun or in shade? If in shade I would find a different hole. Is there anyway you could dig your own bog?

 

[ptfreelander]

I know that the habitats I've seen Sarracenia in on the gulf coast are heavy clay, so I don't know that amending the soil is too important, depending on what soil you already have. So long as it's acidic (as clay in the south tends to be), I don't think the plants really care one way or the other.

 

[jimscott]

It is in a mostly sunny location. We live in the Reading, PA area, in a townhouse, so my gardening activities are "on a leash". It is clayey in the East.

 

[Copper]

Mine is in mostly sun and does fine. If you are worried about shade grow some cannas or decorative bushes around the edge where it is drier. If this is a natural swampy area nature has done the hardest part for you, shade can be added.

 

[jimscott]

It is also a grassy area. Should I remove the grass?

 

[Copper]

That I would recommend. Also put some deep edging around it if you grass is a rhizome type.

 

[jimscott]

Yeah, it is. Basically lawn grass. What kind of edging would you recommend?

 

[jimscott]

I amalso thinking about utilizing several 15" X 18" Sterilite containers. They have holes on the four sides. I could put sand, peat, and LFS in and let the standing water slow in and out. Do you think that would work?

For the 5 "invasive" types of utrics I have I was considering using one sterilte per, so they can spread out. Then, for the ones that aren't spreading with alacrity, I can place 6 each into one Sterilite. Another Sterilite I was going to devote to propogating live LFS.

Is it wiser to attempt germination of Darlingtonia inside, first, before moving them outside.... or to give them a start outside, directly?

Do people place their VFT's and Sarracenias and Droseras in a bog with or without pots?

 

[SnowyFalcon]

When I had a bog garden, the VFTs and Sarras did not need pots. They don't spread very fast at all. The drosera on the other hand may be a different story. If you're not careful, they may end up covering the whole area in sticky dew! If you intend to plant sundews like D. binata or D. capensis, pots might not be a bad idea.

The flip side of the coin is just to let it all go and see what happens. I rather enjoyed having d. spatulata surrounding my vfts. No insect got away! That's my experience at least.

Snowy

 

[Glenn]

I'm curious. What do you consider invasive type Utrics?

Glenn

 

[jimscott]

I borrowed the phrase as it was referring to U. subulata, livida, sandersonii, and bisquamata. It was another way of expressing the concept of highly successful at spreading.

 

[Copper]

Quote[/b] (jimscott @ Jan. 19 2005,9:43)]I amalso thinking about utilizing several 15" X 18" Sterilite containers. They have holes on the four sides. I could put sand, peat, and LFS in and let the standing water slow in and out. Do you think that would work?

For the 5 "invasive" types of utrics I have I was considering using one sterilte per, so they can spread out. Then, for the ones that aren't spreading with alacrity, I can place 6 each into one Sterilite. Another Sterilite I was going to devote to propogating live LFS.

Is it wiser to attempt germination of Darlingtonia inside, first, before moving them outside.... or to give them a start outside, directly?

Do people place their VFT's and Sarracenias and Droseras in a bog with or without pots?

I think that the containers would work fine. My bog is free growing. I have labels with each plant, but all are straight into the bog, no containers.

Edging - Use a deep plastic edging or think ml plastic.

For invasive utrics, the will probably escape out of the holes. I do not mind them in my bog. Its natural.

I would start the darlingtonia started inside and then harden to the outside.