The Bog Blog

I'm relaunching the blog

2006-01-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

Now that Apple has come out with iWeb, I've been able to put together a blog and website that's a lot closer to what I've been wanting to do with this site. I'm going to stop posting here. I'm calling the new site The Bog. I'll still be talking about CPs, but I'll also address other passions in my life such as politics and scientific discoveries.

I hope you'll drop by the new site and say hi!

A fun thing about growing CPs

2006-01-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

If you start to grow enough of them, you start to have other carnivorous plants (CPs) spring up. I've had at least 4 different CPs spring up that I didn't plant. Here's a good shot of one clump of sundews that sprang up on their own. I still haven't identified them yet.

Did a little cleaning up

2006-01-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

These VFTs (Venus Fly Traps aka d. muscipula) are well into their dormancy period. This is a good time to clean up all the dead traps and leftover meals. This helps keep mold from becoming a problem and clears the way for new growth. I think some would argue that keeping the dead traps could provide some advantages. It's pretty much a matter of personal preference.

Here they are post cleanup.

Is my Venus Fly Trap dying?

2006-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the year it looked like this:

Today it looks like this:

This is actually normal! Venus Fly Traps need to have a cold resting period over the winter. All or most of the traps will die. Growth will slow dramatically and the traps usually won't catch insects. By March or April of this year, new traps will begin to form and this will again be a forest of hungry mouths.

Yucca Do 1717

2005-12-31T12:18:00.000-08:00

I put this ping (short for pinguicula, aka butterwort) outside last night. Normally I grow it indoors, but we got a warm storm last night and I figured it could use a shower. Looks like it survived with no problems. I'm going to have to see about propagating this plant in the next few months. It's been growing fairly quickly since I got it - it's probably big enough now to steal a leaf or two. :)

Venus Flytraps are blooming

2005-12-29T12:41:00.000-08:00

The flowers may be a bit difficult to see, but if you click on the photo you can see that both plants are flowering. Silly, VFT's! I was worried about the transplant, but it seems as if the VFT's are fine. :) FYI - most people clip the flowers from their VFT's since they don't produce much seed and they use a lot of the plants reserves. I'll be clipping these flower stalks in the next day or so.

Here's another shot from a bit farther back. They're still looking straggly, but this spring I expect them to put on a good show.

Going through a bit of a rainy spell

2005-12-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

I took this shot last night as the rain was pouring down. So far, the bogs have held up much better than last year when the whole roof garden turned into a mud-spattered mess every time we got a rain storm.

Eye-level view of the newly replanted bog. The sarracenias (pitcher plants) have been heading toward dormancy, so I've been clipping the old pitchers as they die. In another month or two, almost all the pitchers will have died back. Starting in March, new pitchers will begin to grow again. My biggest concern in terms of transplants was the p. primulaflora (the butterwort flowering in the bog, directly above the red tag). At this point, they don't seem to have even noticed the move. New flowers continue to sprout from the original plant. This spring, at least 4 or 5 more plants should begin to flower as well. It will really make a nice display.

Nice shot of drosera adelae getting ready to flower. I haven't had this plant very long, and for a while I thought I'd killed it. Nice to see it doing better - though I think it may be confused as to what season it is.

Getting a good soaking rain today

2005-12-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

This kind of soaking rain storm will be perfect for my freshly transplanted cp's. It should wash them off and get the soil settled into place. The nice pure water doesn't hurt either (remember, cp's like H20 with very low mineral content).

Bonus picture of my darlingtonia seeds that I just planted.

Photos of newly transplanted cp's

2005-12-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

By the time I finished getting all the plants moved around, it was too dark to take many pictures. This first shot is of the new bog. I'm very happy with how it looks. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks by the end of growing season next year.

I transplanted my "Red Dragon" VFT into the light green pot at the back of this picture. Looks pretty sad now, but it is in its dormancy phase. It should look pretty good next spring.

Here are the small drosera that I still haven't fully identified.

Finally, the Cape Sundews.

Finally transplanted the bog

2005-12-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

What a chore! There's not much room to work. Provided a good opportunity to check on the health of the plants in the bog though. Everybody seems to be in good shape. I hope the trauma of the transplant didn't do anybody any harm. Here's a couple of pictures of the old bog as I get ready to transplant.

Here's a pinguicula esseriana that I discovered hiding under this saracenia. About a year ago, on a whim I threw a couple of extra p. esseriana leaves into the bog and months later I discover this guy hiding here, with another sibling nearby.

Another surprise. Still haven't identified this little drosera. I love finding new cp's in my garden.

First out, some small sundews. Those won't be going into the new bog. They're getting their own pot.

Next to go is the Venus Fly Trap (VFT). This is also going to get its own pot.

The following picture was taken after I'd removed four drosera Capensis (Cape Sundews). These guys will also not be moving into the new bog. Bye bye, guys!

After removing about 1 1/2 inches of moss from around the VFT, I discovered I actually had two plants!

My workspace

Out with the old, in with the new!

Tomorrow, I'll post pictures of the finished products!

Crisis during gemmae collection!

2005-12-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

I was collecting gemmae this morning and almost had a disaster. I was holding my d. nitidula x puchella upside down over a white sheet of paper while teasing out the gemmae. Everything was going fine until the drosera and half the soil suddenly fell out of the pot. Looking back on the experience I don't know why I was so surprised it happened. I took the opportunity to transplant the mother plants into a larger, permanent pot and I also scattered the gemmae so next spring I should have a nice clump of pygmies. If you click on the picture above you should be able to see the gemmae very clearly.

These carnivores have looks that kill

2005-12-04T11:20:00.000-08:00

These carnivores have looks that kill | www.azstarnet.com �:

"Creepy, hungry things grow in Charles Lamb's house.
Sticky, hairy plants with pouches and traps lure flies, gnats and spiders to their demise. Bog-loving plants in aquariums also have an appetite for insects.
Carnivorous plants that capture, kill and digest other life forms provide most of the greenery in Lamb's Duluth, Minn., home. The rarer and more unusual the plant, the better.
'They have a beauty,' insists Lamb, 41. 'Most of it is the shape.'
With elaborate clamshell traps, fluted leaves and bristled stems, carnivorous plants are living sculptures, he says."

D. Capensis "Alba" - Growing Tips

2005-12-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

If you're new to CP's or a long time grower, Drosera capensis (Cape Sundew) is a great plant to have in your collection. They come in a few color varieties. There is the 'normal' type with green stems and reddish tentacles, an all red variety and an all green variety (aka "alba"). If you live in a mild climate, the cape sundew will grow all year round. It does not need a dormancy phase, unlike many other cp's - though you may notice slower growth and smaller leaves in the winter.

I grow my Cape Sundews in full sun. They are planted in a 50/50 mixture of sphagnum peat and sand and they always sit in a dish filled with an inch or so of water. As with all carnivorous plants, the water you use is critical. It must be free of any contaminants. In most places in the US this means using tap water is not an option. Most growers will use reverse osmosis, distilled water or they collect rain water. If you grow them outside, there is usually no need to feed them, as they will collect enough flying insects on their own. If you grow them on a window ledge, monthly feedings of powdered blood worms (available at most pet food stores) will be fine.

As the plants grow the older leaves will die and form a 'skirt' around the base of the plant (see picture above). Some people like to trim these leaves away, and that's fine. In fact, it will help prevent seedlings from sprouting up. My personal preference is to leave the 'skirt' intact.

Our winter weather continues

2005-12-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

The plants are getting really drenched. The heavy rain we've been having has put a hold on my plans to transplant some of the bogs this weekend (unless the weather improves quickly).

Our first winter storm of the year

2005-11-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

All the plants are soaked. This drosera capensis is pretty happy though. The rain has washed all of its leaves so in the next dry spell it can catch some more bugs. Hiding just behind is an all red Venus Fly Trap. It's looking pretty ugly right now, but that's normal. It's just going into its dormancy phase. Next spring it will (hopefully) be back in a big way.

Bladderwort flowers

2005-11-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

This is Utricularia Lividia, a very easy to grow bladderwort. It has flowered continuously since I got it early this spring. It makes a great addition to any carnivorous plant collection.

Have a great Thanksgiving

2005-11-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

I'll be traveling so no updates till Fri or Sat!

Time lapse

2005-11-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

November 2004

May 2005

June 2005July 2005September 2005October 2005
November 2005

Same plant - end of growing season

2005-11-22T13:59:00.000-08:00

I've had this plant (actually mound of plants) about a year now and it has really filled in. The previous post showed pix taken early this year. I should think about posting a timeline of pictures so people can more clearly see the progress.

Pygmy sundews flowering

2005-11-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

I took this picture earlier in the year. One of the nice things about d. nitidula x omissa is that it blooms a lot. The flowers are very small, maybe 1/4 inch across at most. Also including a close-up of the sundews themselves. Each plant is about the size of a nickle.

U. Lividia

2005-11-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

Most of the cp's are heading toward hibernation now, so it's nice to see my lividia still blooming. By the way, this plant has been blooming non-stop since I purchased it in March! Continual blooming is actually pretty common for the bladderwort family - one of the many reasons to add a bladderwort to your cp collection!

Interesting environmental news

2005-11-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

Interesting local interest piece I spotted on the web. Nice to see preservation pays.
Preserving Rural Way: Protecting Pines Can Be Profitable: "

“Do Something Good’

Since he moved there, he has been laboring to restore the longleaf pine forest. It’s hard work, but Wimberley said it is also the most rewarding work he’s done.

“Mom said to me, ‘You want this land, then do something good with it,’ ” he said.

The farm still produces economically. Wimberley has raked pine straw, grown shitake mushrooms, engaged in other small-scale organic farming and given educational tours to school children.

He plans on turning an old tobacco barn into an educational center to base tours from.

“My main product is education,” Wimberley said.

Since he’s taken over the property, he has used fire to transition the areas that the loblolly pine has taken over to longleaf.

In leading a tour of the property, Wimberley pointed out the diversity of plants that grow on hills just above running water. Several different types of orchids and even some carnivorous plants were on the property, which he said really thrills the school children."

Ladybug flirts with doom

2005-11-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

This brave little ladybug nearly became lunch! Luckily, she scurried to safety shortly after I took this picture.

What Predator would see

2005-11-19T18:22:00.000-08:00

if he came to my garden. I made this pic with GIMP.

Pygmy sundews -These guys are small!

2005-11-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is d. nitidula x pulchella, a pygmy sundew hybrid. As you can see, they never get very big, but they form low clumps and a sea of tiny pink flowers. This family of sundews comes almost entirely from Australia.

An all red sundew - d. capensis

2005-11-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Given enough direct sun, this variety of Drosera capensis becomes a deep shade of red. Known as the "Cape Sundew," it comes from South Africa and is a very good cp for beginners. It is very easy to grow, it flowers all the time and produces lots of tiny seeds (which then sprout in all your other cp containers!

P. Esseriana

2005-11-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

Took a picture of this little guy this morning. This is one of my favorite pinguiculas (butterworts) but I've not had the best of luck with this species so far. I'm hoping this one does better than my last esseriana. Maybe with a little luck, it'll flower next spring.

It's an unusually warm fall day

2005-11-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

The flowering plant in the front is p. Primulaflora. It flowers almost continuously during the growing season. They start out very light blue (almost white) and then darken as the flowers get older.

Cedric over at Terra Forums has some great sundew pix!

2005-11-16T15:53:00.000-08:00

iB::Topic::Bella drosera

Be sure and check it out!

Drosera erythrorhiza - Check this one out!

2005-11-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

I have yet to add this lovely specimen to my collection. This Western-Australian sundew forms rosettes about two inches across with bright red banding on the edges of each leaf. This sundew grows in the winter and goes into dormancy by forming a tuber to survive the hot, dry Australian summer.

Hey, and just a comment on the picture. It's not mine. I don't know where it came from originally. If it's yours leave a comment and I'll give you attribution (or pull it if you prefer).

Yucca Do 1717

2005-11-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

This is a carnivorous plant from Mexico. At present it has not been given an official name. Grown in very bright light the plant takes on a grapefruit color. I should get flowers from these plants next spring. You can bet I'll post pix when I get them.

U. sandersonii - Little Pink Bunnies!

2005-11-14T22:54:00.000-08:00

Edit note: In my excitement over my new blog, I forgot to let folks know where this picture came from! D'oh! This picture come's from Bob Ziemer's Carnivorous Plant Photo Finder. Check out all the great cp pix over there if you get a chance!

Utricularia sandersonii is a member of the bladderwort family. Believe it or not, this is a carnivorous plant. Most of the plant is below the surface along with the extremely tiny traps that collect microscopic prey underground (or in aquatic bladderworts - underwater).

Sadly, my sandersonii does not look this good. I have sandersonii "blue" which is a much more finicky variety. I think I finally have it figured out though because it looks like it will be blooming soon. As soon as I get flowers they will be posted!

CNN.com - Wetlands�defender kills self in protest

2005-11-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

CNN.com - Wetlands�defender kills self in protest - Nov 14, 2005:

"RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- A crusading defender of Brazil's Pantanal wetlands set himself on fire and died of burns to protest a proposed sugar-cane alcohol plant in the environmentally fragile region, hospital officials said Monday.

Francisco Anselmo de Barros, 65, wrapped himself in an alcohol-soaked blanket and set it on fire during a protest Saturday in Campo Grande, 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) northwest of Rio de Janeiro, according to officials at the Santa Casa hospital.

Fellow protesters smothered the fire with blankets and sprayed it with a fire extinguisher. Barros was taken to Santa Casa with burns over 90 percent of his body. He died Sunday, the hospital said."

It is really a tragedy to see such a pasionate crusader for the environment kill himself like this. Wetlands are a vital part of our world ecosystem and of course, without them, we wouldn't have any carnivorous plants either.

Nice shot of s. purpurea

2005-11-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

I took this picture yesterday. I'm very pleased with the growth of this plant. It's probably tripled in size this year!

Happy Monday!

2005-11-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

FYI - This is why they're called 'sun dews' :)

ModBlog - Dear Kitty posts a great blog about CPs

2005-11-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

ModBlog - Dear Kitty:

Today in the botanical gardens.

Carnivorous plants exhibition.

The first plant I see is Cape sundew, from South Africa.

Its Drosera relatives grow on all continents, except for Antarctic or Arctic regions.

Also various species in The Netherlands.

Usually, smaller species eat somewhat smaller prey.

Drosera regia, the biggest species, is also from South Africa.

I ask about evolution of carnivorous plants.

"Aerial" shot of the roof garden

2005-11-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

Just got some pictures from up on the roof. The first one is looking down into my roof garden from above. Here in San Francisco the buildings are close together and often touch, so houses and apartments often have light-wells which let light and air into the center of the building. My roof garden is in the light well.

I also took pictures of the ocean and bay views from the top of the roof at the same time.

I'll be waiting three years

2005-11-13T00:24:00.000-08:00

before the darlingtonia are big (more than an inch or two tall). I was just re-reading the darlingtonia section in The Savage Garden. It's a great resource. I find myself coming back to it over and over.

So it occurs to me that people might wonder

2005-11-12T18:55:00.000-08:00

why I'd want that scrawny looking cephalotus so badly. Well, here's a picture of a more mature ceph.

BTW, not sure where this picture comes from either. If it's yours, please leave a comment and let me know. I'd love to give credit.

hungryflytrap

2005-11-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

Very cool! Another carnivorous plant blog!

hungryflytrap

I also just found out that Sarracenia Northwest, the cp growers that sold me my new cephalotus also has a blog! Check it out. There are some great photos!

Score!

2005-11-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

Ah, most cool! I just scored some darlingtonia californica seeds for free!

Cephalotus Follicularis - The Australian Pitcher Plant

2005-11-12T13:39:00.000-08:00

My newest acquisition! It's pretty small and the picture isn't great, but you can at least get the idea with these pictures. I've been looking for c. follicularis for quite a while, but till now hadn't been able to get one. They're very rare and slow growing, but I managed to finally purchase one from Sarracenia Northwest. I've purchased plants there before and always received great service.

Recent picture of my most established bog

2005-11-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

This bog is about a year and a half old. It's really grown in nicely. Unfortunately, I used an aluminum tub as a container. This is a big no-no because carnivorous plants do not like minerals and the tub is now oxidizing! I need to transplant everything out of this bog as soon as the plants go into hibernation (probably at the end of Nov.).

G14 Dirk Ventham's Giant

2005-11-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

So far, this has to be my favorite Venus Fly Trap. I haven't managed to get my hands on one so far. Ah well, one of these days. :)

Found this photo online many moons ago. Stupid me - I don't remember where. Leave a comment if it's yours so I can link and give credit.

Same plant later in the season

2005-11-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

Just found this picture. As you can see, the plant has filled out nicely. I plan on transplanting it into a 5 gallon clay pot later this month. In the next two years I hope that it will fill it nicely.

S. x "Scarlet Bells"

2005-11-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite carnivorous plants. It has great coloration and the pitchers stay throughout much of the year unlike other sarracenias. This is a picture I took early this year. Note the d. capensis 'red' in front blooming.