Question
QUESTION: I am setting up a bog garden, or a huge planter in my backyard, and i live in SD. What would u recommend i plant in it? I'd love some VFT's and trumpets that dont get super tall, because the wind always bends them over.
I have a large 4ftx4ft heavy duty water tank, that i plan on burying halfway in the ground, and then decorating around it. during the winter, i plan on insulating around the tank, and covering the plants in mulch or pine needles and tarp/insulation so they dont freeze all the way through. Does this have the potential to work? or am i kinda limited because of the super cold winters here in SD?

ANSWER: What you're essentially describing is an in-ground bog garden.  This is the best way to grow carnivorous plants, especially with your winter conditions.  If you can bury it at least 3/4 of the way into the ground, you'll increase the winter insulation.  Any exposed sections above the ground will require more mulch on the top and sides.  Rather than using tarp, use burlap made specifically for covering plants during winter.  You can also use Reemay, which is another type of fabric that offers reasonable winter protection.  In fact, if you cover the bog garden with Reemay, a thick layer of mulch, and then another layer of Reemay to hold the mulch in place during windy weather, you will have very good insulation.  We have a customer in upstate New York that does this to her bog garden, and she reports that she doesn't lose any plants.  She uses burlap instead of Reemay.  Of course, you'll need to prep your garden as recommended in Volume 1 DVD, Grow Carnivorous Plants.

For plants, grow psittacina, purpurea, and any hybrids made with these plants.  They're short enough to withstand your summer wind.  Of course, flytraps would grow well too.  You may want to avoid sundews if it is indeed excessively windy in your region.  They'll just get covered with debris and not look so good throughout summer.  

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I also thought of using some 55 gallon trash barrell and burying it about 1/2 way or 3/4 down.  And using that as a huge planter as well.  That way i could use the plastic lids that come with those barrells to secure the mulch and insulation during the winters.  Is this an ok idea?

Answer
Yeah, this seems like a reasonable idea.  My main concern about exposed areas above ground is that you will still need to insulate the sides of the container.  If you can soil of your bog garden at ground level, you will eliminate the need to insulate the sides.  Have you thought about those pre-fab pond liners?  They have a lip that will give your garden a distinct boarder with you bury in the ground.