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Half-barrel bog garden?

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  • #1

    Half-barrel bog garden?

    Greetings.

    I hope this is in the right place - it's not flowers but it is non-edibles.

    I want to make this:



    Into a bog garden, with some drosera, dionaea, sarracenia and darlingtonia (assuming I can find varieties that are sufficiently hardy - I think I can).

    Has anyone done this before, and do you have any advice for me before I muck it up?

    Cheers,
    MBE
    Attached Files
    Last edited by mrbadexample; 29-03-2012, 01:33 PM.
    Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
    By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
    While better men than we go out and start their working lives
    At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling
    Tags: None
  • #2
    I haven't done it - but it sounds like a wonderful idea! Do post pictures when you've done it please
    aka
    Suzie

    Comment

    • #3
      A couple of pics to give an update on the construction so far:



      I've lined the barrel with the excess liner from my recently made pond. Drilled a hole near the bottom, through which I pushed a pipe with a screw-thread tap connector on the outside. I made a reservoir from the bottom of an old kitchen bin, and fitted a vertical inlet pipe. I've added some polystyrene to save weight and substrate, and it will hopefully provide a little thermal insulation too.

      I'll mix and add the substrate later this week.
      Attached Files
      Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
      By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
      While better men than we go out and start their working lives
      At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

      Comment

      • #4
        Some more pics:



        I changed the bags holding the polystyrene for some of heavier gauge. Filled the barrel with 50% peat, 25% horticultural grade sharp sand and 25% perlite. Used a layer of crushed granite at the bottom to cover the pipework and act as a bit of a water reservoir.

        Then attached some bamboo screening to serve as a windbreak, giving the taller sarracenias some shelter.

        Then started putting in plants. I've still got some left so will fill most of the gaps.
        Attached Files
        Last edited by mrbadexample; 24-06-2012, 05:03 PM.
        Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
        By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
        While better men than we go out and start their working lives
        At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

        Comment

        • #5
          A closer look at some of the plants:



          It'll look much better when the plants have settled in a bit, and the moss starts to cover the surface.

          Quite pleased though.

          Oh, the whole thing is netted to keep the birds off and the bumblebees out of the pitcher plants. Bit of a conflict of interest there - I like the carnivorous plants but I need the pollinators.
          Attached Files
          Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
          By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
          While better men than we go out and start their working lives
          At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

          Comment

          • #6
            Coolio! How brilliant! the only prob I think you may have is keeping the humidity high enough. But wow, it looks great!
            I used my half barrel as a small pond and have lesser bullrush (Schoenoplectus tabermontanii - I think...) and white waterlilies...

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by jessmorris View Post
              Coolio! How brilliant! the only prob I think you may have is keeping the humidity high enough. But wow, it looks great!
              Humidity not a problem in this weather.

              And thanks.
              Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
              By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
              While better men than we go out and start their working lives
              At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

              Comment

              • #8
                wow, that looks great!
                I love mini gardens. I have a mini alpine garden in a similar sized trug by my back door!

                Comment

                • #9
                  Looks cool - thinking that I need some carnivorous plants that can eat massive aussie blowflies....thanks for that tip!
                  Ali

                  My blog: feral007.com/countrylife/

                  Some days it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints!

                  One bit of old folklore wisdom says to plant tomatoes when the soil is warm enough to sit on with bare buttocks. In surburban areas, use the back of your wrist. Jackie French

                  Member of the Eastern Branch of the Darn Under Nutter's Club

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Thought I'd update this with how it looks now:



                    One of my favourite things in the garden, even if I can't eat it.
                    Attached Files
                    Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
                    By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
                    While better men than we go out and start their working lives
                    At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      That's amazing MBE - looks so well-established that I can't believe its only 2 years since you planted it.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Thanks VC. It has matured rather well, and quickly as you say. All I do is top up the rainwater reservoir, weed it (with tweezers, normally!), pull off the odd dead or dying leaf or pitcher, and bubble wrap / fleece it for the winter. Easy as pi.

                        It does live under a net to keep the dopey bumble bees out.
                        Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
                        By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
                        While better men than we go out and start their working lives
                        At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          MBE that's really pretty
                          Location....East Midlands.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Thanks Bren, I think so too. Carnivorous plants have great flowers:

                            Sarracenia purpurea:



                            Pinguicula grandiflora:



                            Utricularia bisquamata:



                            The sundews and fly traps will be flowering very soon too.
                            Attached Files
                            Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
                            By singing-'Oh how beautiful!" and sitting in the shade,
                            While better men than we go out and start their working lives
                            At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner-knives. ~ Rudyard Kipling

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Wow, wow and wow. Amazing little garden.


                              Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum
                              Sanity is for those with no grasp of reality

                              Comment

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