Tag Archives: drosera

Sink Bog Project

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.

Sink Bog Project
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.

Sink Bog Project

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.

Bog Sink Project

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.

  
In another container bog (above left), I had some live sphagnum moss growing in between the pitchers. It makes a nice bog ground cover, so I wanted to use it in my new sink bog. I simply pluck some of the live moss from the other container bog (above right) and simply place on the media in the sink (below).

Bog Sink ProjectPlanting 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!

Bog Sink ProjectSink bog!

Bog Sink ProjectSink bog!

December Gray

Hello December.

Out here in the Bay Area, we’re currently in middle of a storm system and there’s plenty of rain going around at the moment.  The rain was (and still is) coming down pretty hard creating a heavy rhythmic symphony on the greenhouse roof.

I spent most of the day getting some work done in the Asylum. I’m only down to about half a table of sorting/cleaning Sarracenia. I am making a few occasional divisions here and there, but not so much at this time. I was also doing some cleaning of the Nepenthes, removing the dead pitchers and leaves. Oh, also trying my hand at a couple more cuttings from my own plants today. Did all this under the gray weighty watery skies.

I didn’t have my regular camera on me today, but had my cell phone which also does the job. Below are a few black and white photos from around the Asylum on this first very gray day of December.

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Leaving for the greenhouse: the parking lot was an ocean of puddles. 


Grayhouses. Greenhouses.


The Asylum: A shelter from the storm


Drosera regia

Platycerium bifurcatum


New growth emerging from a recently divided Pyrrosia hastata


Tillandsia tectorum


Cymbidium


Pinguicula ‘Tina’ 

Pinguicula ‘Tina’  – hungry!


Nepenthes rajah
– new pitcher about to open


Nepenthes diatas


Nepenthes eymae

Nepenthes sanguinea

Out On The Table

September Coverage

You may of remembered that at beginning of this month, I was covering quite a few things up. Now, I’m finding myself laying it all out on the table. Well, tables. This last weekend, Dahlia and I spent the day doing some trimming, pulling the weeds out of the pots, and finally – getting the plants out to the tables. In the photo to the left, you can see a few of the tables covered up, finally. I’ve had the plants just bumbling along in their cement mixing tubs and other trays packed in somewhat tight (to save space.) This is great for moving and saving space. But now, I’m sure that the plants are happy to be moving from cramped quarters onto the water tables. The way they’re packed now leaves them desiring some room for improvement. Literally. See, although it’s brighter now, the plants aren’t getting all the light or air circulation that they could be getting since they’re packed close. Don’t get me wrong though! I’m in an area that’s much better – and now that the plants are getting spread out, they’ll really get hit with the light and air that they desire. What I’m hoping for is that the elongated foliage they developed at the old place would really be put to use now – acting as larger solar panels (for lack of better illustration) and absorb even more light to store in the rhizome for next season. Also, insects do find their way in because of the vents, so that’s more food for them! It isn’t pretty just yet, but next year should be quite a show. (I’m putting this down in this blog entry so that by the time next season comes around – I can test my theory out and see if my hypothesis is right.)

In the meantime, enjoy a few photos of the work in progress below! It’s not pretty as you’ll notice the long and stretched leaves that the plants produced. I was really tempted to cut most of those leaves off for aesthetic reasons/personal taste, but I know that the plants would benefit better if I left the foliage. Like I mentioned before — I’m hoping that those long leaves will be put to good use so I’m keeping a majority of them connected to the plant still. Also,  I won’t be dividing them just yet as I’d hate to disturb/shock them after all the crap they went through this year. I plan on doing some divisions later in the late fall/winter.

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After moving a few plants to the tables, the place really started to look like a nursery! It is truly a joy to see things come this far. That’s Dahlia in the back helping me weed/clean the plants. I grouped the plants together by genus/species/subspecies/variations as well. One of the things I’d like to do in the coming seasons is concentrate more on species and populations from different locations. Doing all of this hybridizing work really makes me appreciate the species so much more and makes me realize that keeping the genetic bloodlines is truly important.

I had species mixed up all over the place before. Now that I have room, it’s good to have things together. Another project in the future that I have in mind will be to do a census. I no longer keep a growlist as there have been too many changes in a short amount of time to even try to keep up with things. Freakin’ intense…

Above I’ve placed all Pinguicula, Dionaea, Drosera, Utricularia, and Darlingtonia together. I’ll be going through and dividing/propagating later, so keep checking back as I’ll make things available every now and then. And yeah, sorry for not updating the shop as often as I should, but — once things settle down and get organized, I hope to change that!

Sarracenia purpureas, psittacinas, and minors all together in this section. In the distance, you can see how friggin beat up the minors are from being in the low light conditions. Behind that are the leucophyllas.

Here’s a shot of the grouping of minors. So SAD! UGH! They are so beat up! The older traps are weak, elongated, and floppy. However, check out a few of the new traps as you can see those are strong and upright.

Here we have the grouping of Sarracenia rubra, and in the back is the Sarracenia leucophylla section. I’m keeping the rubras on the higher end/dryish part of the table. Fellow Sarracenia-phile Mike Wang suggests that S. rubras like things on the dryer side. I’ve been top watering and letting the excess run down to the rest of the table where the S. leucophyllas are sitting. Uneven tables: I guess that’s a good thing for situations like this.

Sarracenia leucophylla - 'Hurricane Creek White' clone D

Sarracenia leucophyllas are making a come back! S. leucophyllas throw pitchers up in the fall anyway – this is their time to shine! It’s nice to see them recovering and looking much happier now!

In this front section of this table are all of the S. ‘Reptilian Rose’ hybrids/seedlings that were created by Dr. Travis H. Wyman. I’m really spacing these out to get as much light and air to the plants as possible. I have great hopes for these babies, and I’m sure Dr. Wyman does too. In the back section are various other hybrids of similar shape/form all mixed in.

Another angle of the Sarracenia ‘Reptilian Rose’ hybrid section. You can see the old lanky growth vs. the stronger upright recent growth on some of these plants.

OH MY! The anthocyanin free section. OF COURSE! Y’all should know me by now. I am an anthocyanin free addict!

Here’s a few of the Sarracenia courtii AF x “Green Monster” crosses I did from 2009. They are on the road to recovery!

The field of screams! The Dionaea group. They’ve really turned around since the move into The Asylum.

Hope you enjoyed this quick update – will be working on putting the rest of the tables together and moving plants over the course of the next few weeks. Good times indeed!

A Few September Shots

Howdy! Just a few shots from around the greenhouse… enjoy!

Nepenthes jamban
Nepenthes jamban

Pinguicula medusina
Pinguicula medusina

Dionaea muscipula
Dionaea muscipula

Drosera binata var. mutifida
Drosera binata var. multifida

Sarracenia (leucophylla x oreophila) x 'Adrian Slack'
Sarracenia (leucophylla x oreophila) x ‘Adrian Slack’ – select clone

Sarracenia ((rubra x oreophila) x flava v. rugelii) x 'Adrian Slack'
Sarracenia ((rubra x oreophila) x flava var. rugelii) x ‘Adrian Slack’

Sarracenia 'Leah Wilkerson' x 'Adrian Slack'
Sarracenia ‘Leah Wilkerson’ x ‘Adrian Slack’

Sarracenia "Pink Eye"Sarracenia “Pink Eye”

A Visit to California Carnivores

Last weekend, Dahlia and I had a little weekend excursion in Sonoma County. It was a much needed time to relax after all the moving that we recently had to do. We’re settling into our new place nicely – but man… moving always sucks! (Thanks again to everyone who helped out!)

So anyway – what would a mini-vacay be without carnivores?! For me, vacations are never complete without carnivorous plant goodness. Since we were in the ‘hood of California Carnivores we decided to stop by to immerse ourselves in the carnivory. If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend stopping by. It’s always a pleasure to visit this magnificent and magical place. Thank you, Cal Carn for what you do. Continue to embolden and equip us to be better growers!

Click here for the full screen slideshow!

A few highlight photos are below the slideshow.

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A Visit to California Carnivores

Kickin’ it with Wang and Martinez

Last weekend, I had the honor and privilege of kickin’ it with fellow carnivore-heads Mike Wang and Drew Martinez. Both are truly amazing individuals and growers par excellence. I’m very thankful to know Mike and am quite privileged to have met Drew on this monumental day. We met up at Mike’s and spent the day geeking out over plants there for a while. We then headed over to Drew’s place for more botanical nerdiness! I really can’t capture what I’ve seen and witnessed in words – so I’ll let the photos do the talking. Immerse yourself by checking out the full screen slideshow! Mike and Drew – thanks again for your kindness and hospitality! Much props and respect to both of you. Continue to motivate us all to be great growers like yourselves! WORD, HOMIES.

Click here for the full screen slideshow!

(Note, you may use your arrow keys to scroll through photos in the slideshow.)

Below are a few highlights from our delicious carnivorous soiree.
Bon appetit!

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From The Garden of Wang…

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez
Mike with the ultimate frisbee while Drew is paparazzi-ing.

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez
Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez
Sarracenia homies in effect.

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From The Garden of Martinez…

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

Kickin' it with Wang and Martinez

A Visit to Flora Grubb Gardens + The Sarracenia Sink

You may find this hard to believe – but this past weekend was my first time visiting Flora Grubb Gardens! (Better late than never, right?) Man, was I missing out! So glad that I finally got to see this impressive and phenomenal oasis of botanical goodness. Dahlia and I were truly inspired by the flora-radness. Many fellow gardeners – both carnie-heads and non-carnie-heads have told me about Jared Crawford’s amazing artistry with the Sarracenia sink display (photos below slideshow), and I figured it was time to finally go and check it out – along with the rest of Flora Grubb’s sheer magnificence! There’s so much to talk about that I could go on for days and days about it, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Click here for the full screen version of the slideshow!

A few photos of Jared’s handiwork with the sink are below!
I am looking forward to many more visits. 🙂 Thanks again FGG for the botanical inspiration!

Flora Grubb Gardens
Sarracenia Sink by Jarred Crawford. Beautiful Display with S. leucophylla ‘Tarnok’, S. ‘Judith Hindle’, S. purpurea, Drosera binata ssp, Dionaea muscipula and other carnivores!

Flora Grubb GardensSarracenia Sink by Jarred Crawford.

Flora Grubb Gardens
Sarracenia Sink by Jarred Crawford. To the right is another display container using S. ‘Judith Hindle’ and what appears to be S. ‘Cobras Nest’.

Flora Grubb Gardens
Sarracenia cuteness in effect.

Flora Grubb GardensSarracenia cuteness in effect.