That Little Bugger!

So today I found a bug inside one of my Darlingtonia pitchers. "Isn't that good?" you might say but it was not an ordinary bug, but a very ferocious and hairy caterpillar. After repeated attempts with a toothpick and some manicure scissors I finally retrieved the wretched insect from its comfortable home. Unfortunately for it, I killed it; unfortunately for me, the damage was already done.

The little bugger itself

The damage done

Seconds from death

Hope no one else has this problem! Good Growing!

No more room

Well I didn't want to make another bog (maybe next year?).  So I decided to extend the existing one further into the pond side. Here's how it was done:

Before any work was done:

First I shifted all the existing rocks to the right to create a ditch in the bog.

 Then I filled the ditch up with a 1:1 ratio of peat to sand mix with a little perlite.  I topped it off with some long fibered Sphagnum and now I can plant even more plants!

 Now to get some more plants...

Webb's Mill Bog

First of all, Happy July! I have been on vacation in NJ so I apologize for the lack of posts.  Well, today I took a little trip to Webb's Mill Bog, a bog in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. This is my second trip down there and it is one of the coolest bogs I have ever been to. I highly recommend going there if you live in the area. They have Drosera intermedia, rotundifolia, and filiformis. It is located on the border of the Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea and Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa, so some cool forms and color patterns emerge. They also have Utricularia, which I believe is U. cornuta. Enjoy the pictures!

The view upon entering the bog.
The water level was about an inch lower than last year.

Drosera filiformis with Sarracenia purpurea in the background

It's the attack of the Triffids!

Utricularia cornuta...I think

S. purpurea with almost vertical traps

A D. rotundifolia hides amongst the Sphagnum

It's not carnivorous... but it looked cool

This S. purpurea almost has the coloring of S. flava var. rubricorpora

Some cool looking Sphagnum...

I would call this one S. "Easter Island" do you see it?

A floating Sphagnum mat with the remnants of a pine tree

Drosera intermedia

And the plants are reproducing well!

A nice healthy seed pod

D. rotundifolia

D. filiformis with prey

Is it a x courtii? Probably not, just a small purpurea

Another mat of plants

The bog upon leaving