# International Bog Garden - Japanese Style!



## KyushuCalanthe (May 22, 2010)

I've got a couple "portable" bog gardens (hell on the back though). Here's the newest one. It was put together back in the fall of 2008. There are a number of orchids and insectivorous plants growing quite nicely. By this fall the larger pitcher plants will no doubt be much more bulked up.

The whole thing, sitting on the top of the garden shed for optimal sunshine - still only about 6-8 hours of full sun per day - enough, but more is better.







There are five types of _Sarracenia_ in there, three hybrids, and these two species, _S. alata_ and _S. leucophylla_. These top out at around 3 feet when happy, sometimes more. 






One of my favorites though is this bog hugging hybrid pitcher. Yes, it is that red in real life. One parent is definitely _S. psittacina_ and likely the other is some form of _S. purpurea_.






An Australian addition to the bog is this cool sundew, _Drosera binata_. Generally thought to be cold sensitive, I've found it to be able to handle the frosts we get here (not below 25 F). It is deciduous in winter. 






Of course I had to put at least one Japanese plant in as well. Here is one of the two native_ Pogonia_ species of Japan, _P. japonica_. These spread like crazy via slender stolons and can travel surprisingly far. Having said that, they are tricky and quick to die back as well, so any given colony can be very strong one season and very thin the next.






Finally, just to make it a truly international bog garden, here is the European _Dactylorhiza fuchsii_. This climate is really pushing its heat tolerance, but it has been surviving for a couple seasons now.






Containerized bog gardens unfortunately don't last forever since the substrate becomes too decomposed through time. Natural bogs have a constant input of new organic material through plant growth and many have at least some water flow - both of these are lacking in bog garden. The upshot is, after about four or five years you have to break them down totally and start all over again. Worth the trouble in my opinion!


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## valenzino (May 22, 2010)

Very true about pogonia...last year maaaany flowers...this year I have only 7....but still very nice.Nice Sarracenias and drosera...thanks!!!


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## NYEric (May 22, 2010)

Tell us more detail on what its composed of...


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## JeanLux (May 22, 2010)

Great 'portable' Tom!!!! I like all of them but esp. that Pogonia!!! (did not know it yet) Jean


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## Clark (May 22, 2010)

Thanks for the tips on container gardening. Very timely. 

Portable.
Is this when one can take their container of Sarracenias and move them by the garbage cans the morning after a seafood dinner?

It works better than any flypaper.


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## Jorch (May 22, 2010)

That red hybrid pitcher is really eye-catching!


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## SlipperFan (May 22, 2010)

I agree with Jorch, and the sundew is amazing -- so delicate and hard to believe it's a carnivore.


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## Lanmark (May 22, 2010)

Amazing Drosera! I fell in love with these in the 1970's!


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## Kevin (May 22, 2010)

I love it!:clap: 

What media are you using that you have to replace it every 4 or 5 years? When you talk about organic media, there can't be much, since CPs can't tolerate much nutrients. I don't have a 'bog garden' as such, but all the potted plants I grow are in a peat/silica sand mix, or live sphagnum. How would a 'portable' garden be different from a permanent bog in this respect?


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 23, 2010)

Glad you all enjoyed the pics and bog. They are a lot of fun.



NYEric said:


> Tell us more detail on what its composed of...



Are you pulling my chain?



Clark said:


> Portable.
> Is this when one can take their container of Sarracenias and move them by the garbage cans the morning after a seafood dinner?
> 
> It works better than any flypaper.



Yeah, but a seafood dinner is almost every night here!



Kevin said:


> I love it!:clap:
> 
> What media are you using that you have to replace it every 4 or 5 years? When you talk about organic media, there can't be much, since CPs can't tolerate much nutrients. I don't have a 'bog garden' as such, but all the potted plants I grow are in a peat/silica sand mix, or live sphagnum. How would a 'portable' garden be different from a permanent bog in this respect?



Funny that the "portable" idea got so much mileage. It was mostly a joke. I've had large in ground bog gardens back in the states, but here there is so little growing space one has to be happy with small containers. 

Regarding the compost, it is a mix of silica sand and peat moss, around 50:50 in the top half and more like pure sand at the bottom. In this climate the peat breaks down pretty fast into a black, sticky mess after a while, so I like to replant bogs to keep the plants happier. In my experience bog gardens like this peak in around 3 years and start to show decline by the 5th or so. In a natural bog there is new organic material added each season and there is at least some water flow. A tub bog garden is much more static in comparison.


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## fbrem (May 23, 2010)

really nice container, I'd like to start a few of these in addition to my in ground bog. Are you sure that is D. binata and not D. dichotoma? I thought binata did not branch, but dichotoma and multifida (my favorite of the forked sundews) did. Anyway, great job on this one.

Forrest


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## cnycharles (May 23, 2010)

looks very nice. the pogonia doesn't look much different from rose pogonia here in the northeast. the tall fluted pitcher plants look like a fantasia pipe organ!


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## Kevin (May 23, 2010)

fbrem said:


> really nice container, I'd like to start a few of these in addition to my in ground bog. Are you sure that is D. binata and not D. dichotoma? I thought binata did not branch, but dichotoma and multifida (my favorite of the forked sundews) did. Anyway, great job on this one.
> 
> Forrest



In my experience, forking is not the defining feature of these varieties. My binata branches. To me, the difference is in size - binata is mostly compact, dichotoma is very large and floppy, and multifida is similar to dichotoma, but is much darker in colour.


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## NYEric (May 24, 2010)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> Are you pulling my chain?
> 
> Regarding the compost, it is a mix of silica sand and peat moss, around 50:50 in the top half and more like pure sand at the bottom. .



No,this is the info I meant. I'm assuming there is no drainage otherwise there would "at least some water flow", correct? Or do I have to pull your chain to get more info! oke:


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## fbrem (May 24, 2010)

Kevin said:


> In my experience, forking is not the defining feature of these varieties. My binata branches. To me, the difference is in size - binata is mostly compact, dichotoma is very large and floppy, and multifida is similar to dichotoma, but is much darker in colour.



Thanks for the info. Guess I just assumed this 'cause mine have never branched.


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 24, 2010)

fbrem said:


> Are you sure that is D. binata and not D. dichotoma? I thought binata did not branch, but dichotoma and multifida (my favorite of the forked sundews) did. Anyway, great job on this one.
> 
> Forrest



The label just said D. binata. In Japan you are lucky to get that much ID from a label! 



cnycharles said:


> the pogonia doesn't look much different from rose pogonia here in the northeast.



Very similar, just bit smaller in overall stature and flower size.



Kevin said:


> In my experience, forking is not the defining feature of these varieties. My binata branches. To me, the difference is in size - binata is mostly compact, dichotoma is very large and floppy, and multifida is similar to dichotoma, but is much darker in colour.



Thanks for that clarification Kevin. This plant has been very compact so far.



NYEric said:


> No,this is the info I meant. I'm assuming there is no drainage otherwise there would "at least some water flow", correct? Or do I have to pull your chain to get more info! oke:



Sure, pull away! True, the bottom has no drainage, but about 3/4 of the way up the sides I slit the container with an exacto knife - slow drainage, but the whole thing stays wet most of the time. During extreme hot and dry times I have to water it about twice a week. The whole system is not unlike a fish tank - over time it sours - hence my comment about lack of water flow.


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## NYEric (May 24, 2010)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> *Sure, pull away! .*








KyushuCalanthe said:


> True, the bottom has no drainage, but about 3/4 of the way up the sides I slit the container with an exacto knife - slow drainage, but the whole thing stays wet most of the time. During extreme hot and dry times I have to water it about twice a week. The whole system is not unlike a fish tank - over time it sours - hence my comment about lack of water flow.


OK, but I need more info. People keep giving me bog plants and I kill them -too dry!! Can you imagine that; me-too dry!?!??! :sob: How deep is it; or did I miss that somewhere? I really should be able to grow these as I water everything 2-3 times per week.


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 25, 2010)

NYEric said:


> OK, but I need more info. People keep giving me bog plants and I kill them -too dry!! Can you imagine that; me-too dry!?!??! :sob: How deep is it; or did I miss that somewhere? I really should be able to grow these as I water everything 2-3 times per week.



Eric, to be honest, unless you grow outside I think you'll find Sarracenia and certainly any bog orchid difficult to maintain longterm (unless you grow under strong artificial light). These are full sun plants. Also, water quality is a serious issue - they can't take salt build up in the growing medium so you've either got to use mineral free water most of the time or somehow flush the system out often - impossible under the conditions I keep them.

I use a deep container, at least 10" deep, and large capacity, say no less than 5 gallons. This helps stabilize the moisture of the bog. If you use too small a container it will dry out very rapidly. Another possible method is to grow plants in individual pots and have these in a container of water that comes up around half way up the pots. In winter these plants need a dormancy with at least fairly cool temperatures (mid 50s is enough) and just moist conditions. In summer keep them in a hot, sunny position and keep them wet.

Got a balcony? You might be able to grow the out there. Otherwise some of the sundews are subtropical (as well as butterworts) and make good windowsill plants.


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 30, 2010)

A few more pics from yesterday.

Sarracenia leucophylla






And the tiny Japanese native, Eleorchis japonica. This is a close relative of Arethusa, Calopogon, and Pogonia. The flowers typically are deep rosey purple, but here is a "semi-alba" form.









Another hybrid pitcher, possibly Sarracenia Dixie Lace 






The Drosera are in bud, both binata and filiformis.


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## NYEric (May 31, 2010)

nice stuff.


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## JeanLux (May 31, 2010)

cool pics again Tom!!!! I esp .like the native's lip  !!! Jean


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 12, 2010)

*Boggy Updates*

A couple more things in flower, an orchid and a sundew.

Calopogon tuberosus - easy to grow and flower. I started with just 2 tubers 4 years ago and now have around 10 plants. 







Drosera filiformis, another southeasterner of the USA, feeling displaced, but not so unhappy it won't flower.






Mature pitcher on this unknown hybrid. I was calling it S. Dixie Lace, but I'm not so sure now. There definitely is S. minor in there, but I'm unsure of the other parents - very likely some S. purpurea and maybe someone else...


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## Lanmark (Jun 12, 2010)

The pattern on that pitcher is nothing short of amazing! :drool:


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## SlipperFan (Jun 12, 2010)

As is the photo of it.


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## JeanLux (Jun 13, 2010)

Great pics Tom!!!! Jean


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## biothanasis (Jun 13, 2010)

WOW!!! GReat pictures and gorgeous plants!!!

I got 2 drosera capensis some days ago and I would like to get a couple of pinguicula too! But the sarracenia (I think purpurea) that flowered does not produce the fat red veined pitchers it had last year, but thin green ones with a big "wing". Is it normal or there is something missing in conditions needed???? TY for any help!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 13, 2010)

biothanasis said:


> WOW!!! GReat pictures and gorgeous plants!!!
> 
> I got 2 drosera capensis some days ago and I would like to get a couple of pinguicula too! But the sarracenia (I think purpurea) that flowered does not produce the fat red veined pitchers it had last year, but thin green ones with a big "wing". Is it normal or there is something missing in conditions needed???? TY for any help!



More sun, as much as you can give them with 6+ hours optimal. These babies grow in full sun in the wild.


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## biothanasis (Jun 13, 2010)

Oh, OK!! Thank you Tom


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## NYEric (Jun 13, 2010)

More goodies, thanx for posting.


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## goldenrose (Jun 14, 2010)

:clap::clap: :drool::drool: :clap::clap:


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## Clark (Jun 15, 2010)

More than once I've heard the color is associated with pH.
Mine have also turned green, but I am unwilling to experiment.


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 19, 2010)

Clark said:


> More than once I've heard the color is associated with pH.
> Mine have also turned green, but I am unwilling to experiment.



That's why it is recommended that you give them "peat tea" at least once a year. I've never bothered and mostly they stay red though.

Here's Calopogon going off:


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