Choosing a suitable location: Since most CPs need lots of sunshine, a suitable spot should be one that gets direct sunshine for 5 hours or more each day.  Sunshine earlier in the day is best as afternoons are generally much warmer and plants can burn easier.  In fact, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to the plants.

In a dry (not humid) climate such as mine, your plants will be healthier if you can increase the humidity immediately around them.  Having a healthy lawn and garden surrounding the bog will help to improve the local microclimate.  I try to water the areas surrounding the bog with the hose often to increase evaporation during the day.  Also, a spot somewhat protected from winds will help the bog retain the humidity and prevent hot winds from drying out the plants.

The bog should be located near a source of “clean” water.  I’ve located mine at the bottom of the downspout from the rain gutter to take advantage of any rainfall (see below).  A small group of stones beneath the rain gutter keep soil from being washed away or splashing onto leaves.  When it doesn’t rain frequently enough I supplement with rainwater I’ve stored in a large barrel.

A plastic pond form can be a bit expensive but is very durable. My bog is 9 inches deep in the shallow end and 18 inches deep in the deeper part, but anything about 1 foot deep should be sufficient. The extra depth will help the plants to grow better root systems and allow the bog to hold more water in hot weather.

The soil is basically peat moss and silica sand. Perlite is not a good option in a bog because it floats when the bog floods, but could be used below the surface.  I’ve mixed my soil a bit heavier on the peat to improve water retention.  Another good soil additive is chopped pine needles.  This helps to increase the acidity of the soil and may provide beneficial tannins.

Planting the bog:  The overall goal should be not only to grow healthy CPs, but also to have an attractive bog garden.  Therefore it’s wise to select a variety of plants for aesthetic purposes.  My oreos do well in the spring, and the leucos well in the fall, but it leaves a large gap in the summer when neither looks particularly well.  Thus it makes sense to bear in mind the seasonality of the pitchers.  Some, like purpurea and psittacina, will produce attractive traps throughout the season and can provide a nice focus while other plants are in transition.  Those that produce their best pitchers early in the season are: flava, oreophila, and minor.  Those that produce their best pitchers late in the season are: leucophylla, alata, and rubra.  Although I’ve not used Drosera very extensively, they could also help to add interest to the bog, not to mention their ability to catch smaller prey, such as gnats and mosquitoes.

In my climate I’ve had most success with Sarracenia, particularly oreophila, leucophylla, and purpurea venosa.  S. rubra sub-species haven’t done as well.  I’ve also tried D. intermedia, D. capillaris, and VFTs, none of which really thrived long-term.

The soil level can also be varied to meet the individual needs of the different species.  Thus plants that enjoy wetter conditions, such as purpurea and psittacina, can be planted in a slight depression that will be more prone to flooded conditions, and plants that like it drier, like leucophylla, oreophila, and flava, can be planted in slightly higher ground.

Non-carnivores in the bog:  “The Savage Garden” has a list of “companion” plants that will do well in a bog.  The only plant I’ve tried so far is Japanese Blood Grass, which eventually became invasive.  I also hope to try some native bog orchids and am considering some small ferns for next year.  I recommend planting any non-carnivore inside another pot to keep it from spreading out of control.

Winter care:  If your winter temps get below freezing for extended periods of time the bog will need to be mulched.  The best material to use is a thick layer of pine needles, about 6” to 8”.  Other materials such as plastic, leaves, and straw don’t allow the bog to breathe well and can encourage mold.

This picture was taken right after a late season light snow storm (the only CPs are some oreos which were in the previous bog). The left side is a bit lower and will be more prone to flooding after a rain storm, and the right side, which is higher, will dry out a bit sooner, but still maintain moisture under the surface. I had cut one small hole in the liner on the left side, about 3 inches below the rim to allow it to drain off excess water and keep it from being permanently waterlogged but I’ve since plugged it up as it was just drying out the bog. There are rocks under the rain gutter, which are several inches deep with chopped pine needles under them, and will allow the water to soak into the bog more easily and keep it from splashing the soil onto the plants.

This is my new bog.  Because we built a patio that shaded the old location I had to move the plants into something that could be moved once the patio is finished.  The barrel is lined with a double layer of 4-mil black plastic.  I had originally planned on using a hard plastic liner (similar to the prior bog) but it didn’t fit the barrel well enough.  The bottom is filled with non-biodegradable white Styrofoam packing peanuts to make it lighter and easier to move (I’ve still got one more move to make).  I covered the peanuts with chopped pine needles to prevent (or at least slow) soil from filtering down.  Mulching it adequately for winter will be a challenge, though.  One great benefit, however, is that the plants are all up higher where I can see them easier, plus the dog can’t eat the flowers like he did last year!

Click on the picture for a LARGER image.

A pile of rocks set into the soil provides a good spot to water the bog and keeps the soil from washing away or being splashed on the plants.  I’ve also included a section of PVC pipe behind the bloodgrass (the only non-carnivore in the bog) so I can siphon out the water when I need to move it.  Also, the bloodgrass has been planted inside a plastic pot to prevent it from spreading out of control like it did before.  The new barrel-bog was planted with S. oreophila (14), S. leucophylla (9), S. flava (5), S. purpurea ssp. venosa (1), D. capillaris (lots), P. ionantha (1), flytraps (6), and U. subulata (not visible near the rocks, which should be the wettest spot).  The Ping initially did very well but died when we had very hot temperatures (as high as 107f).  I also lost a few Sarrs (mostly oreos), VFTs, and quite a few of the capillaris.  I think the Sarrs would have done better if I’d made sure the rhizomes were covered with soil, protecting them from the hot sun.  The Utric has done very well and spread quite far from the rocks.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t produced any flowers, just the cleiostigmous seed heads, and the leaves are hardly even visible.