PLANTING 



PLANTING 



2667 



tion can be made by scooping out the muck for a few 

 inches, filling in with sand and peat soil, leaving about 

 5 to 6 inches depth of water. For those who cannot 

 secure muck from natural bogs, a soil may be mixed of 

 leaf-mold, sand, and twigs and leaves of the oaks or of 

 mountain laurel or rhododendron refuse. One should 

 guard against getting the mixture too heavy and clave}'. 

 Sand and plenty of twigs and leaves of the species men- 

 tioned will lighten up the mixture, leaf-mold makes it 

 more heavy. 



The management of the bog-garden requires some 

 skill and observation. As the amount of evaporation 

 from the surface is enormous, water must be added, 

 either artificially or naturally. Strive to keep the bog 

 just full enough not to overflow, thus keeping the whole 

 sponge wet, but preventing the leaking out of the valua- 

 ble acids that are the life of the bog. Both for the effect 

 and for the good of the bog, it is desirable to cover all 

 the open spaces in it with live sphagnum moss, which 

 when once established, will make a delightful carpet. 



Plants for the bog-garden. 



Many bog-plants are very showy and worthy of cul- 

 tivation. Others, such as the insectivorous kinds, are 

 among the most wonderful plants in nature, for they 

 have the unique distinction of being able to digest ani- 

 mal matter directly, a habit otherwise unknown in the 

 realm of vegetable life. In the foUowing account of bog- 

 plants many are necessarily omitted, and it should be 

 remembered that a number of purely swamp species, 

 not mentioned here, can also be grown in bogs. 



I. SHRCBS. 



Rhodora (Rhododendron canadense), purple flowers 

 before the leaves in April and May; 3 to 5 feet. 



Swamp azalea (Rhododendron riscosum), white or 

 pink flowers after the leaves in May or June; 5 to 8 feet. 



Sheep-laurel (Kalmia angustifolia) , purplish pink 

 flowers, summer; 1 to 2 feet; also Kalmia polifolia in 

 northern regions. 



Leather-leaf (Cham&daphne calyculata), small whit- 

 ish flowers along one side of the branches, May; 1 to 2 

 feet. 



Labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum), white flowers in 

 terminal clusters; leaves russet-brown below; 2 to 5 feet. 



Wild rosemary (Andromeda polifolia), drooping white 

 flowers, early spring; leaves silverv below; under 2*2 

 feet. 



Creeping snowberry (Chiogenes hispidula}, prostrate, 

 with tiny white flowers and snow berries; leaves dark, 

 evergreen. 



There are many others, but these are the best for the 

 temperate regions of the United States. In the South 

 many others are to be found. 



II. PERENNIALS, grown chiefly for their flowers. 

 In any open part of the bog. 



Calla palustris. a greenish flowered water arum having 

 a conspicuous white spathe; showy and hardy. 



Acorus Calamus, sword-shaped leaves and a finger- 

 like flower-cluster; the root is the medicinal calamus. 



Viola lanceolata, a delicate, very free-flowered violet 

 with lance-shaped leaves. 



Asclfpia-s lanceolata, a deep red milkweed, very 

 show}-, and with smooth narrow leaves. 



Potentilla palustris. the purple marshlocks, a sprawl- 

 ing rather rank bog-plant with purple flowers. 



Penthorum sedoides, greenish yellow flowers in curved 

 spikes in summer; native plant, probably not in the 

 trade. 



Orontium aquaticum, the golden-club, very early 

 flowering, making a patch of gold in March or April. 



Menyanthes trifoliaia. with three-divided leaves and 

 many conspicuous white flowers; the buck-bean is a 

 valuable addition. 



Helonias bullala, flowering in April to May; the 

 swamp pink is our most conspicuous spring flower. 



There are many asters, goldenrods, and eupatoriums 

 that grow in bogs, as well as some gentians, but the bog 

 species must be collected from the wild. 



In wet sandy places. 



Here must be grown all the species of Xyris or yel- 

 low-eyed grass, curious plants with long, delicate, grass- 

 like leaves and tiny heads of yellow flowers. Also species 

 of Eriocaulon or bunch-flowers should be grown here. 

 They are not large, have sword-shaped leaves and white 

 erect heads not unlike the everlastings. With these two 

 must go the meadow-beauty, different species of Rhexia 

 with beautiful purplish red flowers. The common R. 

 tirginica is the hardiest and easiest to procure. 



All the plants in this class and the following are to be 

 secured from dealers in bog-plants or collected in the 

 wild. There are others such as Lophiola, Xarthecium, 

 and Zyadenus. 



In open water. 



The bladder-worts are different species of Utricularia, 

 some with purple and some with yellow flowers, some 

 floating on the surface and supported by air-bladders, 

 others rooting near the edges of the pool. They are 

 the most interesting and delicate of all bog species. 



III. BOG ORCHIDS. 



Many native orchids can be grown only in bogs, and 

 from them the following have been selected, as the most 

 noteworthy. All are perennials and may be secured 

 from the dealers. 



Calopogon pulcheUus, pink-purple flowers about an 

 inch in diameter, June and July; leaves grass-like. 



Cypripedium parviflorum, a small-flowered yellow 

 lady's slipper; raise up so that the roots will not be too 

 wet. 



Cypripedium spectabile (C. regime or C. hirsutum), 

 showy lady's slipper; beautiful rose-purple or nearly 

 white flowers; better for a little shade. 



Habenarid blephariglottis, a white-fringed orchid with 

 a showy spike; 1 to 2 feet; does splendidly in the open 

 sun. 



Habenaria cUiaris, yellow fringed orchid; very showy 

 spike; 1 to 1^ feet. 



Arethusa bulbosa, beautiful purplish pink flowers, 

 about the last of May; 3 to 6 inches. 



Spiranthes cernua, white, slender spikes; the ladies- 

 tresses; several others, even more slender species are 

 known. 



Besides these are over forty other species which may 

 be collected by the enthusiast. Nearly all of our most 

 beautiful native orchids are bog-flowers. Most of them 

 can be grown in pure live sphagnum moss. 



IV. INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS. 



Grown more for their peculiar habits of getting food 

 and for their odd form than for beauty. They are of 

 several types; some catch insects in a tube-shaped leaf, 

 drowning them at the bottom of the cup, others have 

 stick}- hair to which the insect becomes fastened, and 

 the most wonderful of all, the diona?a, actually traps 

 its food by a contraction of its jaw-like, prickly leaves. 

 The best insectivorous bog-plants are as follows: 



With pitchers. 



Sarracenia purpurea, having short purplish red pitch- 

 ers, quite hardy northward, but not easy to maintain in 

 an artificial bog. 



Sarracenia rubra, the red trumpet-leaf, with tall 

 pitchers; does very well in artificial bog. 



Sarracenia flava, also with tall pitchers but yellow. 



Sarracenia Drummondii, with variegated pitchers, 

 the largest and most showy of all. 



