Question
I am located in Zone 7, right on the border of Zone 6 in West Virginia.  We have two areas in our yard, near a small creek, which are typically wet (as in you can splash water walking through the area) from around this time of year through early summer (and right into fall if we don't have a drought).  The grass grows alright in both areas, though plenty of weeds tend to spring up, too.  We live on the Blue Ridge so our soil consists of clay with fragments of slate for a depth of 2-6 inches.

Considering the circumstances, we've been toying with the idea of using the larger of the two wet areas as a carnivorous plant garden for temperate plants (we currently have three varieties of fly trap, a white top pitcher, and a sweet pitcher, and plan to expand).  However, we're not sure how to go about it.

Would it be possible to actually plant the plants right in the ground and do nothing further?  Should we dig soil out and replace it with peat moss, and if so, should we line the bottom of the excavation first and then plant directly in the peat, or just dig the pots into the ground?  Any guidance or suggestions that you could offer?

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Michelle,

There is a possibility that you might be able to put the Sarracenia right in the ground.  From your description it sounds like the area may be somewhat nutrient deficient.  Just experiment with one pitcher plant for a year and see what happens.  If you get good growth, then you may be able to put others there.  Your biggest battle will be the weeds.  You'll need to keep them knocked down so they don't block sun.  You'll also need to water during dry years.

The other option you were alluding to is a bog garden.  It works best to excavate the area, line it with pond liner or heavy plastic, then fill it with cp media.  For bog gardens I like to use a mix of peat moss and pumice or sand.  You can also use peat and small lava rock.  Just be sure not to use anything that might be alkaline such as limestone.  Avoid perlite since it will float.

If you position it right, and give it a slight slope, you might be able to use spring as the water source.  In the Blue ridge the groundwater doesn't tend to be very hard since the bedrock is mostly metamorphic.  You can plant water lovers such as the Sarracenia and sundews in the wetter portions, and Venus flytraps in the higher areas.  If you have areas slightly shaded by the Sarracenia, those are good spots for butterworts.  If you have a constant water flow, you may even be able to succeed with Darlingtonia.  Here's a link to a bog garden design:  http://www.pitcherplant.com/bog_making.html  Once in place you'll need to be very diligent about weed removal.  Peat tends to germinate every seed under the sun.


Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com