A couple of years ago, I put together a bog garden using an old sink my uncle was going to throw out. [Here’s the sink from when I first pout it together in 2013.] The sink has filled in quite nicely since then and here’s how it’s doing now. I seriously need to get a tub/shower or maybe even a toilet bog going next. 🙂
Bog sink
Bog sink, flanked with Tillandsias and fern.
Not sure what hybrid I threw in there, but I like the pattern and contrast.
Good morning! Last month, I documented the assembly of my sink project. A month later, the sink is overflowing with carnivorous goodness.
Up-cycled Sink Bog.
A sink bog. I’ve been soo itching to make one of these things. It all started after seeing Jared Crawford’s super awesome Carnivorous sink at Flora Grubb Gardens. Eventually I would want to do a whole crazy tub garden just like the one that Sarracenia Northwest put together. (Check this video out!) And speaking of bathroom fixtures, I still want to see Paul’s “very VERY bad idea” come to fruition. Heh heh! Anyway, last month I picked up an old sink that was left over from my uncle’s bathroom remodeling project. It was a perfect fit for this little bog I’ve been wanting to put together. Dude, it’s always fun up-cycling/re-purposing things.
The sink is placed on these empty crates for now. I may end up switching the crates out for something else, but for now this will do.
I didn’t have a stopper to plug the sink, so instead I grabbed some left over greenhouse plastic and used that to partially line and kind of clog up the bottom of the sink. A rock or screen would of probably worked too, however I wanted this container to be able to retain more water so that I wouldn’t have to water it that much.
Before I fill in the sink with the potting media, I made sure to plug up the sink’s side overflow drainage hole with a little bit of sphagnum moss. A screen would also work here. I then fill the sink up with my media of choice. I use a rough 1:1 mix of peat/perlite. Sometimes peat/sand. Use whatever you’re comfortable with. If you notice, around the perimeter of the sink (photo, top right) I have a little bit of sphagnum moss. I don’t think this step is necessary but I had some left over moss from another potting project I wanted to use up, so I figured that I could use it here. Also was thinking that it would prevent the peat from running all over the place when I water the thing later. In the photo upper right, you can see some of plants I’m using for the project. I had another container full of random mixed plants that needed some serious repotting, so I decided to repot them into my new bog.
Above, you can see the plants being planted up in their new place! You can see some of their new growth coming up (as well as the old foliage that I still gotta trim off.) I have to make a note that it would of been better to do all this repotting and moving about right before the plants broke dormancy, but they’re resilient things and I’m sure they’ll adjust just fine. I arrange the plants placing the ones with the taller growth habit in the center and back, while shorter plants will be located around the sides and front. It ensures that the plants get the light that they need, and it just looks better this way.
Planting some live sphagnum heads in the new sink bog. By the end of the season, this should form a nice thick carpet.
I’ll post more close up photographs later of a few other plants I planted around the edge of the sink. I threw in some Dionaea (Venus Fly Traps), Pinguicula (Butterworts… more specifically I used P. moranensis), and various Droseras (Sundews). Also added were a few rocks for some minor hardscaping. After everything was planted, I simply took the hose and gave the new bog a good drench, as well as wash away the mess I made around the sink.
Finally, the sink bog is complete. Well, for now anyway. I’ll post updates as the sink bog garden grows!
Sink bog!
Sink bog!
Posted in Blog
Tagged Bog, Butterwort, Dionaea, drosera, Pinguicula, Pitcher Plant, recycle, repurpose, Sarracenia, Sink, Sundew, Up-cycle, Venus Fly Trap
