Bog Garden Completed

[Rachel]

I thought I would post a few pictures of my newly completed Bog Garden.

Thanks to all members who offered me advice and help on it.

I am very pleased with how it turned out and can't wait for the big Sarracenia x Moorei to reach last year's 93cm height. He's the one in the middle.

Two questions :

1) I think I read somewhere on this site before that plain orchid bark could be used as a mulch on the surface of a Bog Garden to hold in moisture. Is that true?

2) I planted my Darlingtonia in the planter. Should I pour a little cold water, from the top, on its roots every few days as I used to do when he was in a pot?

[LJ]

Look very nice Rachel. I have some wooden barrel type pots outside a bit like your set-up, I dont bother putting bark down to keep moisture in though I'm sure it would be fine if you want to do this, would prob look nice and hopefully keep a few weeds out.

I dont bother trying to put cold water around the darlingtonia either, I know its said they like cool roots but I dont think pouring some cold water there every few days will make much difference to the root temperature, atleast not for very long especially when the weather is so warm. I keep several different plants in my barrels (sarras, darlintonia, vfts, pings, drosera) and to be honest I just water them when they start to dry out.....

[numpty]

Nice garden you have there!

I don't have a bog garden, but I imagine one of the nice things about them is that they're large enough for the soil temperature to stay stable, relative to that of a pot's. I also imagine that the night times are relatively fresh round your neck of the woods, even in mid-summer, which would also give the plants a break from overheating.

Is overheating a big problem in Ireland?

[jimscott]

What Heather said!

I had a colony of Darlingtonia in an ordinary planter. They were estavlished plants and showed no sign of suffering on the occasional 90 F days we have in Western New York. The key is to gave established plants.

[diva]

a covering of live spagnum (kept in check of course!) always set planters off nice , the bright green makes red plants look even better and is also a good early warning that water is needed. the only worry i'd have about the darlingtonia is it will take over the planter (not a problem as that will give you a good excuse for another planter.

looks great by the way and can you send some of that irish rain our way please.

[Rachel]

Thank you all for your advice and encouragement. Perhaps I have been over-cautious with my Darlingtonia. We have had scorching weather here until two days ago and now it's wet. Hopefully the nice weather will return.

[gooner]

What Heather said!

I had a colony of Darlingtonia in an ordinary planter. They were estavlished plants and showed no sign of suffering on the occasional 90 F days we have in Western New York. The key is to gave established plants.

In a planter! i thought you tethered them in open streams?

Your bog looks wonderful Rachel I'll be interested to hear how that Darlingtonia does, would love some in my bog...

[jimscott]

In a planter! i thought you tethered them in open streams?

Your bog looks wonderful Rachel I'll be interested to hear how that Darlingtonia does, would love some in my bog...

LOL! ... not one of my better experiments! These pictures are from last year:

Alas, the colony died from a bad dormancy in a co-worker's unheated apartment - too warm and too dry. A friend sent me more and this is what I am doing with it:

[rob158]

very nice