My bog garden progression

[fbrem]

My bog garden is probably my single best horticultural success to date, check out the progression from moving it to its new sunnier spot last July up 'til now

July '07

May '08

June '08

Aug. '08

Forrest

 

[NYEric]

Aie Caramba!!! If those pitcher plants get bigger they might start swallowing the neighborhood pets!!

 

[Heather]

Wow! that's wonderful!! Rivals ours here at the garden for sure. What all is growing in there (besides the pitchers?)

 

[JeanLux]

congratulations!!!! nice growing with a lot more success than when trying to keep those plants potted!!! Jean

 

[fbrem]

Wow! that's wonderful!! Rivals ours here at the garden for sure. What all is growing in there (besides the pitchers?)

I know you didn't ask for the pitchers but here's the complete list of everything in there:

-Sarracenia leucophylla (wild type and 'Tarnok')
-S. flava (wild type and 'Coppertop')
-S. purpurea (green, red, and red veined forms)
-S. rubra (at least 3 different varieties)
-S. alata (wild type and red veined form)
-S. x Scarlet Belle
-S. x Catesbeiana
-S. x Wrigleyana
-Dionaea muscipula (green dragon and red dragon)
-Drosera capensis (wild type and alba)
-Drosera spathulata (wild type and Frasier Island forms)
-Drosera dielsiana
-Drosera nitidula x pulchella (pygmy sundew, my favorite of all)
-Drosera binata
-Drosera multifida var. extrema
-Utricularia bisquamata
-Phaius Dan Rosenberg
-Platanthera blephariglottis
-Neobenthamia gracilis
-some kind of boggy fern southern Illinois native
-some king of fiber optic grass I regret introducing, seeds keep popping up everywhere
I think that is about everything except some columbine type thing that either seeded or came in with one of the pitchers.

all carnivores are hardy in Memphis except Drosera dielsiana (hardy only under leaf litter around pitchers) and Drosera nitidula x pulchella (grown as annuals from gemmae produced in mass in the fall, so easy). Not sure about the Phaius and Neobenthamia. I'm gonna give the Phaius a try this winter but the Neobenthamia will be yanked up and brought indoors.

Forrest

 

[fbrem]

congratulations!!!! nice growing with a lot more success than when trying to keep those plants potted!!! Jean

Yeah, for sure. started out in pots with deep saucers and they do so much better in the bog, keeps the roots cool and gives a much needed winter dormancy. bogs are the way to go, even worked for em up in southern Illinois. Sarracenia and Dionaea are incredibly hardy. I really want to get some of the North American Drosera but have stopped buying anything cause the pitchers are expanding much faster than expected.

Forrest

 

[JeanLux]

do you expect strong winters in your area, will this be a problem for the plants??? Jean

 

[fbrem]

do you expect strong winters in your area, will this be a problem for the plants??? Jean

It was a concern of mine last year but not really anymore. Last winter was well below normal for our area and everything came back fine, even in front where leaf litter did not build up around the pitchers and the ground was totally bare only a few D. dielsiana and my only D. alicia did die. I think it would take a really freakish winter here to do any damage, especially to the Sarracenia and Dionea. Some of the Drosera died at the crowns dut came up from the roots, but they weren't even well established going into last winter because I planted it in July and we had a sweltering August last year, 15 consecutive days over 105. All I can say is that they are some incredibly hardy plants.

Forrest

 

[Kevin]

Wow! Thanks for the pics! Very well done! How do you protect the bog during winter, or do you at all? What zone are you in (low winter temp)?

What type of water do you use? I wouldn't think you could top it up with water from the hose, right?

My concern here, would be to prevent making a breeding ground for mosquitoes! Do you keep the water at a certain level, or do you just try and make sure it doesn't dry out too much?

Kevin

 

[fbrem]

Wow! Thanks for the pics! Very well done!

How do you protect the bog during winter, or do you at all?
- Not at all, I tried putting leaf litter over it and it blew away in the front and stayed nicely around the dormant pitchers.

What zone are you in (low winter temp)?
-We are in 7a I believe, the warmer of the 7's, winter low usually about 15F. Got down to like 10-12F a few days this winter.

What type of water do you use? I wouldn't think you could top it up with water from the hose, right?
-Mostly RO and carbonfiltered, about 7-10 gal/day average. When I'm desperate 'cause it's in the 100's I'll spray it with the hose to try to keep a crust from forming but they root really deep so a intermittently dry top crust has never seemed to bother them.

My concern here, would be to prevent making a breeding ground for mosquitoes! Do you keep the water at a certain level, or do you just try and make sure it doesn't dry out too much?
-Just try and make sure it doesn't dry out too much. Never standing water, unless the spring rains make it flood. I poked a few dozen tiny holes in the 6mil plastic liner for slow drainage and to retard stagnant conditions at the roots.

In all it is my easiest horticultural endeavor to date, everyone should have one. I planted my neighbor a container bog and she used straight tap with no problems but I'm really invested in them so I don't take too many chances.

 

[paphioboy]

DROOL-icious sarracenias.... :drool::drool::drool: Great growing, Forrest..! :clap::clap: Wish I could I have a bog like that..

 

[fundulopanchax]

That is some progression!

Congratulations!

Ron

 

[Corbin]

Nice Growing:clap::clap:

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

That's wonderful Forrest! :clap:
Any chance of some close-ups of the plants?

Joanne

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Very nice growth on your garden! Sarracenia are much more cold resistant than most folks think - with a good layer of winter mulch you can easily grow them in zone 6 and even the 5b. The key is sun, sun, sun!

 

[Kevin]

Very nice growth on your garden! Sarracenia are much more cold resistant than most folks think - with a good layer of winter mulch you can easily grow them in zone 6 and even the 5b. The key is sun, sun, sun!

Yeah, I just wish that the real cold-hardiness from S. purpurea would transfer to it's hybrids. I haven't heard reports of success with anything other than purpurea in zone 2.

 

[goldenrose]

:clap::clap: AWESOME!!! :clap::clap:

 

[fbrem]

Very nice growth on your garden! Sarracenia are much more cold resistant than most folks think - with a good layer of winter mulch you can easily grow them in zone 6 and even the 5b. The key is sun, sun, sun!

Absolutely, not enough sun that was reason I had to relocate my bog last year. The spot was great in the spring, until the sun went to it's high summer position in the sky and got shaded by the house most of the day. If you don't give them at least 6-8 hours direct sun they just grow tall and flop over.

Forrest

 

[fbrem]

you've unleashed the beast with that request

Joanne, As for you're earlier request of some close ups, absolutely, with pleasure, the only thing funner than watching them grow is showing them off. This may be the longest pictyre posting in Slippertalk history so I hope it's legal, and it's not even orchids.

S. alata

S. alata flowers

S. alata flower underside

S. purpurea (red form and red-veined form)

S. purpurea buds and opening flower

Sarracenia flowers

S. leucophylla

S. leocophylla flowers

S. leucophylla 'Tarnok'

more images to come in mere moments...

 

[fbrem]

S. flava

S. flava 'Coppertop'

S. rubra

S. 'Scarlet Belle'

S. 'Catesbeiana'

S. 'Wrigleyana'

S. 'Judith Hindle'