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The Venus flytrap, native to boggy areas of South Carolina, makes an ideal choice for a bog container garden.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
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Yellow pitcher plants like this one are native to South Carolina bogs and bays. These plants are often found at retail garden centers and are relatively easy to grow.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
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If your container has a hole in the bottom, it should be plugged so water doesn’t drain out too quickly. By inserting a PVC pipe with small holes drilled in it into the drain hole, you can raise the standing water level and allow water to drain slowly, as in a natural bog.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
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When your container is well sealed and prepared to drain water gradually, begin filling it with a shallow layer of pea gravel, covering the bottom third of the vessel. This serves as a water reservoir and a foundation for your planting soil.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
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Mix peat moss and sand to create good bog soil. Fill your container to the rim, then pack it down to remove air pockets, and saturate with water.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
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The water level in your bog garden should stay about two inches below the top of the soil when the container is filled. Arrange and plant your selected plants in the soil and cover with a layer of sphagnum moss.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
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Note the tip of the standpipe protruding at the center of this container garden. Holes drilled into the PVC pipe help keep the soil draining slowly and protect against overwatering.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
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A mix of different varieties of pitcher plants, Venus flytrap and non-carnivorous rush plants makes for an attractive finished bog container garden.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
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Old sinks or bathtubs can be converted into bog containers. Their overflow drain holes serve the same purpose as an inserted standpipe in a dish garden.
Photo by S. Cory Tanner
What could be cooler than bug-eating plants? Carnivorous plants have fascinated me since I got my first Venus flytrap as a young boy.
These herbs that consume insects for nutrients make attractive garden specimens with unique flowers, leaf shapes and colors. Despite their otherworldly appearance, many are native to South Carolina.
Carnivorous plants are easy to grow if you meet their special needs. They grow in bogs—areas with peat-based, poorly drained soils that are highly acidic and low in fertility (hence the need to consume insects). Sure, you could build a bog in your yard, but a bog container is much less daunting. Plus it looks really cool!
Start by selecting a container. A wide, shallow bowl shows off carnivorous plants best. You’ll probably need to modify it a bit. Carnivorous plants like wet, boggy soil but don’t want their crowns submerged, so you’ll need the water level in your finished container to be a couple of inches below the top of the soil.
The simplest way to prep your container is to line it with a heavy-duty plastic bag or a section of pond liner. Puncturing the top third of the liner with small holes will allow excess water to drain slowly, replicating how water flows in a natural bog and taking some guesswork out of watering.
For my bog garden, I salvaged a concrete dish container with a single drain hole. I drilled ¼-inch holes in the top third of a small section of PVC pipe and glued it in the drain hole, with the top just below the rim of the container. Because my container is made of porous concrete, I waterproofed the inside with a concrete-sealing paint.
With your container ready, you’ll need to create soil similar to a natural bog. Mix three parts peat moss with one part coarse, washed sand (white pool-filter sand works great). Moisten peat moss before adding the sand to make mixing easier. Don’t add lime or fertilizer—remember, these plants need acidic, nutrient-poor soil.
To fill your container, place pea gravel in the bottom third to serve as a water reservoir, then add your soil mix on top. Fill to the rim, packing down to remove air spaces, and water until saturated. Wait several weeks before planting to allow pH balancing to occur.
While you wait, seek out plants for your mini-bog. Pitcher plants are a favorite and some of the easiest carnivorous plants to grow. Many different varieties and hybrids are available from retail garden centers or online vendors. Venus flytraps, sundews and butterworts are great in bog gardens but may be harder to find for purchase. Never dig plants from the wild—some, along with their habitats, are critically endangered. For variety, add non-carnivorous bog plants such as rushes and sedges.
Your container needs at least six hours of direct sun per day. Make sure it never dries out but doesn’t have standing water. Either extreme will cause your bog to perish. Mulching with a layer of coarse sphagnum moss will help hold moisture in. If you need to add water, collected rainwater or distilled water is best. City and well water, particularly hard water, contain dissolved minerals that may cause problems. Resist the temptation to fertilize or feed insects (or anything else) to the plants. They get the nutrients they need naturally.
Our native carnivorous plants are perennial and completely cold hardy throughout South Carolina. They need winter dormancy to grow properly, so leave your container outdoors all year. You can remove dead leaves to tidy it up, but leave any green leaves to support the plant.
A properly planted container bog will give you years of enjoyment with very little care and provide a surefire conversation starter at your next backyard barbecue.
S. CORY TANNER is an area horticulture agent and Master Gardener coordinator for Clemson Extension based in Greenville County. Contact him at shannt@clemson.edu.