I expect you'll get a huge number of huge replies on this one. I
had been growing alot of my hardy CPs outdoors in pots in a kiddie's
paddling pool at the end of the garden for ages. But I decided that
this meant I only saw them when I went looking, visitors only saw
them during the few minutes I supervised their tour of the garden.
And anyway they didn't look like anything more than scraggy weeds in
shitty wee pots sitting in a pool of brown slop...
So I made a "Log Bog" on my terrace this summer. This is what I did:
I bought loads of 5ft long, 3inch diameter wooden poles (the type
used for staking trees) pressure treated to last forever. With these
I made a box 3.5meters long x 80cm wide and 52cm (=7 poles widths)
high. So basically it is 3 poles long. The poles came with pointed
ends that I cut off the middle poles. I left them on the ends to add
style. I used spare bits of floor board to nail the poles to at the
joins. And I used cut down poles as corner pieces (perhaps I should
draw it out...). The logs are nailed together with masonary nails,
and I used shorter ones elsewhere. Oh yes, I left off the top layer
of poles 'til the rest of the box was lined. I could've addded cross
pieces on the base to help prevent bowing, but I didn't.
The box isn't completely straight (which isn't very surprising
really) and until it was finished it was a bit wobbly, but now it is
good and solid.
I did this all in situ, and I used some Germans as slaves.
I bought a roll of builders' membrane (as plastic sheet 1000gauge) and
lined the box with that. I then added the last layer of poles to hide
the top of the lining. I then added two cross pieces to stop the top
from bowing (not that it was but you never know).
Next I added four 300litre bales of Irish moss peat. I piled it up
at the edges to hide the plastic I also used dried peat turf (used as
a fuel here abouts) for landscaping and further liner disguise. The
result was a big box with rather a lot of dry peat in it and a big
hollow in the middle. It then rained for a whole weekend :-) I fixed
a hose from my water butt to the box and the thing filled right up,
and the peat swelled to fill the hollows in the middle just leaving
puddles.
I modified the pure peat a bit to make it like my favorite CP
composts (lime-free sand&grit and perlite) as I planted, and I also
added alot of sphagnum for stuff like Darlingtonias. There are alot
of VFTs (about 30), native Pings, Sarracenia hybrids, and species like
purpea/flava/leucophyla with tons of Darlingtonia, and Droseras. I
am lucky to live in an area with alot of natural bog so I have
managed to add some very attractive non-CP bog plants as well.
I have planted stuff in groups with a small amount of mixing.
The result looks really wonderful. It sits facing south on the
terrace against the house. Folk just sit there looking at it,
sometimes getting right down to have a close look - remember it is
raised slightly higher than the seat of your chair. The plants are
doing well and there is a constant stream of insects to the plants
for suicide, and to the bog for water (esp bees and wasps). There
is usually some poor creature buzzing for help - which is rather
distressing :-( and I had an elderly woman freak when she saw the
legs sticking out of a VFT trap kicking! "Oh my God quick!! it is
still alive!!!" Some have witnessed VFTs catching stuff without
human help (this gets them really really excited).
So that is it. for the winter I'll try and keep it a bit drier, and
cover the VFTs with straw. Comments or suggestions welcome... I have
been toying with the idea of installing a small pond pump circulate
water through it, or at least the Darlingtonia section. There are
puddles of open water but there is alot of fine peat still floating
about in those. I have been thinking of adding some Utricularias
(aquatic or terrestrial) any suggestions for hardy species (summers
to 25C winter down to -2 or so, not as hot or cold as England).
Maria, hope this gives you some ideas and encouragement, make it big
Seos
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