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Finally ... ! The project is underway :)


Floydsdad

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Evening all !

Way back when I first signed up to the forum, I mentioned that as a complete newbie, I needed help and advice in the planning and subsequent stocking of a greenhouse based 'bog garden' display. The wonderfully generous and knowledgable Ada set me off with a few of his spares, and Santa Claus was spot on when he delivered a gift voucher for Matt Soper's excellent Hantsflytrap.com online shop.

A few nights sat at the table (with many a bottle of San Miguel!) scribbling ideas down, and many hours reading the informative posts on here, and finally a fPlan was formed.

So today, (with the invaluable help of my ace DIY guru neighbour 'Norm') the plan became a reality! And so it's now built. ... If you fancy a look .. Here's what I've settled on ! ( I've based it on the fact that much of the advice for newbies was to stand plant pots in trays of water ) .

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Started off with a 'Jumbo Underbed Storage Box' from B and M Bargains as my 'plant pot' . Drilled with a good number of holes in the base, and several around 4 inches from the top to avoid water logging . I bought 2 rustic sleepers from B and Q when they were on offer (which was a bonus !) and picked up some ludicrously cheap (as in £1) MDF to make a base.

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Last years 'Must Have' stupidly oversized paddling pool was deftly sliced up with a Stanley Knife, doubled over, and as an ex-upholster, expertly stapled into place by Norm to make the oversized tray for the plant pot.

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The plant pot fits snugly into place with a gap of a couple of inches on the left hand side to keep an eye on the water level.

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A little more 'reconstruction' of the paddling pool led to a water inlet which was then fitted through a piece of the rustic sleeper to make it covert, yet accessible.

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Finally, a little 'snagging' to try and tidy up the exterior and make it look as 'loggy' as possible, and the construction of an extremely sturdy set of legs to support the weight!

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And there it is in place! All set for tomorrow's efforts to add the growing medium, and get the water in, ready to leave for a few weeks to settle before I plant it out.

I'm going to guess I've probably made many a cardinal sin in my plans, but I'm hoping the countless mossy twigs and logs I've collected, along with the plants from Ada and Matt, and hopefully a little beginners luck will make the display something to be proud of !

Fingers crossed !!

Check out www.Floydsdadonthepans.wordpress.com

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Thanks CephFan !

It remains to see whether it will be a success. Fingers crossed !

:)

Check out www.Floydsdadonthepans.wordpress.com

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Thanks Ada ! Going to fill it today .. Hoping I can do justice to the plants I got from yourself and Matt !

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I'm a little puzzled. Why would you take a rigid watertight tray, drill holes in it then sit it snuggly in a watertight tray you've had to construct because you drilled holes in the rigid watertight inner tray?

 

Having said that, it's looking good.

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FredG

I thought I'd try and replicate (only on a bigger scale) the principal of plant pots in trays of water. It might transpire that it's not necessary, which tbh would be good. If I want to do another bigger one, I'd probably struggle to find a box big enough ! :)

Thanks for the reply :)

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Plant pots keep plants separate, whereas a bog is not intended to so just use the inner rigid tray intact. Water level indicators and water extraction tubes are very easily constructed inside it and much easier and cheaper to do than a watertight outer layer. A couple of inverted perforated desk trays (25p each) and some scrap plastic tubing is all you need, and that's the delux version, the simple version is half the price. You will need to cover your open 2" on the left as every bit of medium you disturb while 'gardening' will find it's way down there. With tubes you just bung a cork in while there's a risk of that.

 

Looking forward to see how she looks full.

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Thanks for the advice .. I've not got the heart to undo 'Norms' handy work, however as I'm currently preparing the 'business case' for a new bigger greenhouse, I'll try that next time. :)

Check out www.Floydsdadonthepans.wordpress.com

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Nice work Floydsdad, looking forward to seeing it planted up.

A nice dressing of live sphagnum moss on top of the peat would look great too in my opinion.

I had a go at a mini bog last season, albeit on a much smaller scale than yours.

I was surprised how quickly it went from a lovely neat looking " planter" into a tangle of plants and a bit of an eyesore.

In my experience ( limited I'll admit ), I've found that leaving the plants potted, then sinking them into the peat worked out better for me.

It still gives the appearance of a well stocked bog but maintaining its neatness and being able to relocate any plants that were getting smothered or too big was much less of a ball ache.

Good luck with your project.

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riveroalbert, Blocky71 thanks for the comments :)

It's all planted up now, with a selection of mosses that I've been growing in the same medium to make sure they take ! Final bit of tidying up to do, then I'll post some pics :)

Check out www.Floydsdadonthepans.wordpress.com

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Morning all :)

Update time .. I spent most of yesterday afternoon planting out the display..

And here it is !

(Still room for a few additions before I add the rest of the moss)

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A little more detail, working right to left ..

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A couple of Sarracenia at the back, with the space for a Cobra lily and a small Heliamphora in between. At the front a selection of Dionea, with an Aki Ryu in the moss on the left.

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In the centre, a gnarled old weathered log with a 48mm hole drilled right through to allow a Cape Sundew to be planted within it. A Sarracenia Leucophylla at the rear, a couple of Purpurea and a small Cephalotus (courtesy of Santa Claus!), and at the front by the driftwood, the Pingiculas which are just some of the plants kindly supplied by Ada.13bf2f97cc3b73a848d934240c9843f5.jpg

And on the left, another Sarracenia from 'Santa' (well, Matt at Hantsflytrap to be precise!) and a little oasis of Sundews! I found some very low growing moss which once it settles goes a vivid pale green, (it needs to spread somewhat). In there are two Binata, a Madagascariensis and an Aliciae. I have an Anglica, and a Spatula dormant in pots which I'll plant out in the spring.

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I've just been out to check and the peat is nice and wet, but not waterlogged, so I'll keep an eye on that . Fingers crossed the plants are hardy enough to withstand any errors I've made! Hopefully in a few months it will look a much healthier picture :)

Hope you like ...

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If you can think of any additions I can make feel free to suggest. (I'm working on a way to suspend a couple of Nepenthes over the display when it warms up!)

Cheers ...

FD :)

Check out www.Floydsdadonthepans.wordpress.com

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Thanks for the kind words FredG :)

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Blocky71 , good idea :) I'll try and do that .

Check out www.Floydsdadonthepans.wordpress.com

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Ahh once again I am late to the party, however let me add my congratulations on what looks to be a nicely sorted bog garden. If you are anything like me this will be just the start, believe me however large you are planning the next one to be, make it larger, seldom have I finished one, stood back and said to myself, 'that's far too large Steve'  they simply are never big enough..

Once growing it will soon get tangled as Blocky says, but larger clumps of  intertwined plants, can look good too. Not sure that the moss is all sphagnum but given sufficient acidity and moisture that will sorty itself out in a shortish space of time in the growing season. 

Good luck with that one

Steve

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billynomates666

Thanks for the kind comments sir :)

Updates through the season !

Check out www.Floydsdadonthepans.wordpress.com

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