Comments on: my swamp creatures http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:51:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: [ Lost in the Landscape ] » bog chronicles http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-4175 [ Lost in the Landscape ] » bog chronicles Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:32:33 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-4175 [...] The mid-sized pond turned out to be a critter magnet. Rummaging possums and raccoons ate all the fish and regularly upturned any water plants. Two years back it became my first bog garden, and is today filled with carnivorous sundews and pitcher plants. I was concerned about how much water a bog garden would require, but last year I figured it out that it required only about as much water as an equivalent patch of grass. [...] […] The mid-sized pond turned out to be a critter magnet. Rummaging possums and raccoons ate all the fish and regularly upturned any water plants. Two years back it became my first bog garden, and is today filled with carnivorous sundews and pitcher plants. I was concerned about how much water a bog garden would require, but last year I figured it out that it required only about as much water as an equivalent patch of grass. […]

]]> By: Barbara E http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2991 Barbara E Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:38:32 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2991 Until April I worked at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont. They have a vernal pool garden with interesting and unusual plants. It is a fairly high maintenance area. If I remember correctly the depressions are lined. The water is allowed to evaporate in summer. Definitely more work than I would take on at home, but something I think about. Until April I worked at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont. They have a vernal pool garden with interesting and unusual plants. It is a fairly high maintenance area. If I remember correctly the depressions are lined. The water is allowed to evaporate in summer. Definitely more work than I would take on at home, but something I think about.

]]> By: lostlandscape http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2990 lostlandscape Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:04:40 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2990 Ryan, every now and then I hear people say that lawns are riparian areas or bogs that you mow... Susan, we also have a pond near the bog, and having one gives you access to a whole new world of plants. I doubt your water feature is really "rather dull" but it's hard to not make something more interesting with the addition of some plants. Elephant's Eye, I've seen your postings on storks, and I doubt any self-respecting stork would come to frolic on a lawn. Barbara, I'm intrigued by the idea of having a vernal pool as a water feature. I could see lining part of the garden with an impervious membrane, covering it with soil, and planting all sorts of rare and endangered vernal pool plants. It could go dry and wouldn't be a water feature half of the year, but that'd be what you see in the natural vernal pools that are left. Ryan, every now and then I hear people say that lawns are riparian areas or bogs that you mow…

Susan, we also have a pond near the bog, and having one gives you access to a whole new world of plants. I doubt your water feature is really “rather dull” but it’s hard to not make something more interesting with the addition of some plants.

Elephant’s Eye, I’ve seen your postings on storks, and I doubt any self-respecting stork would come to frolic on a lawn.

Barbara, I’m intrigued by the idea of having a vernal pool as a water feature. I could see lining part of the garden with an impervious membrane, covering it with soil, and planting all sorts of rare and endangered vernal pool plants. It could go dry and wouldn’t be a water feature half of the year, but that’d be what you see in the natural vernal pools that are left.

]]> By: Barbara E http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2980 Barbara E Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:48:32 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2980 Another beautiful and thought-provoking posting! As you probably know from my blog, I also have some lawn - though it is ever-shrinking. A bog, or other water-feature is a far cry from a green desert lawn. It provides more diversity, the key ingredient to habitat. And I do agree that it using "native" plants - those from the same state but not local - is really no different than introducing a non-native, so if there aren't any appropriate natives, go with what works as long as it isn't invasive, which clearly yours are not. I dream of having an interesting water-feature: pond, bog, vernal pool. Another beautiful and thought-provoking posting! As you probably know from my blog, I also have some lawn — though it is ever-shrinking. A bog, or other water-feature is a far cry from a green desert lawn. It provides more diversity, the key ingredient to habitat. And I do agree that it using “native” plants — those from the same state but not local — is really no different than introducing a non-native, so if there aren’t any appropriate natives, go with what works as long as it isn’t invasive, which clearly yours are not. I dream of having an interesting water-feature: pond, bog, vernal pool.

]]> By: elephant's eye http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2966 elephant's eye Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:56:38 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2966 "lawn is a just a green swamp full of grass" That is why we have NO lawn. 2 "creeks" which are dug out hollows with a growing selection of happy green plants. Another post in the offing. TX James “lawn is a just a green swamp full of grass” That is why we have NO lawn. 2 “creeks” which are dug out hollows with a growing selection of happy green plants. Another post in the offing. TX James

]]> By: susan morrison (garden-chick) http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2965 susan morrison (garden-chick) Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:39:57 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2965 Have never done a bog garden but love the idea! A friend visited my garden recently and suggested I add some water plants to my rather dull water feature. Looking at your photos is prodding me to follow through. Have never done a bog garden but love the idea! A friend visited my garden recently and suggested I add some water plants to my rather dull water feature. Looking at your photos is prodding me to follow through.

]]> By: ryan http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2964 ryan Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00:30 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2964 Pitcher plants are great. I've never grown one, but I really like them. I'm not surprised by the calculations about your swamp versus a lawn. Lawns are bad, and it would be great if the whole state of California traded in all the front yard lawns for small bog gardens. Pitcher plants are great. I’ve never grown one, but I really like them.
I’m not surprised by the calculations about your swamp versus a lawn. Lawns are bad, and it would be great if the whole state of California traded in all the front yard lawns for small bog gardens.

]]> By: lostlandscape http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2963 lostlandscape Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:33:17 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2963 Tina, I'd say you did well in that plant swap. I've never grown acorus, though the photos of it I've seen are cool. The variegated forms look about as spectacular as anything else grass-like. George, yah, it was a bog blog posting alright. I'll leave it to others to do dog blogs or frog blogs or fog blogs or log blogs... Thanks for the comment on the photos. You're a little farther inland, so the higher water use numbers aren't surprising. Bird, I'm on my way to check out your orchid postings! As far as my bog, I've figured that the average water user in town uses as much water in a day as it takes me to keep the bog alive all year--I actually do get assistance from the rain, though not much of it. And as far as your florist flower comments, I'm often right there with you. I have this fuzzy notion of a more natural world in my head and that side of me comes out every now and then. I think a little bit of puritanism doesn't hurt, especially when it helps us keep our focus on important things like the natural world. Tina, I’d say you did well in that plant swap. I’ve never grown acorus, though the photos of it I’ve seen are cool. The variegated forms look about as spectacular as anything else grass-like.

George, yah, it was a bog blog posting alright. I’ll leave it to others to do dog blogs or frog blogs or fog blogs or log blogs… Thanks for the comment on the photos. You’re a little farther inland, so the higher water use numbers aren’t surprising.

Bird, I’m on my way to check out your orchid postings! As far as my bog, I’ve figured that the average water user in town uses as much water in a day as it takes me to keep the bog alive all year–I actually do get assistance from the rain, though not much of it. And as far as your florist flower comments, I’m often right there with you. I have this fuzzy notion of a more natural world in my head and that side of me comes out every now and then. I think a little bit of puritanism doesn’t hurt, especially when it helps us keep our focus on important things like the natural world.

]]> By: Bird http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2962 Bird Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:20:50 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2962 What gorgeous alien creatures you have in your miniature swamp! I tried to do the maths in my head to work out how many baths per summer your bog garden equals but maths is is not my best subject - I just have a strong feeling that it's not many, so in the scheme of things it's not exactly greedy :) I hope I wasn't too scornful of the florist's flower either, sometimes I worry that I've become a horrid old killjoy through my thing for keeping stuff "natural". I like to think I'm not as puritan as I might come across... Oh by the way, I posted those orchids! What gorgeous alien creatures you have in your miniature swamp! I tried to do the maths in my head to work out how many baths per summer your bog garden equals but maths is is not my best subject — I just have a strong feeling that it’s not many, so in the scheme of things it’s not exactly greedy :)

I hope I wasn’t too scornful of the florist’s flower either, sometimes I worry that I’ve become a horrid old killjoy through my thing for keeping stuff “natural”. I like to think I’m not as puritan as I might come across…

Oh by the way, I posted those orchids!

]]> By: George J. Janczyn http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/2009/07/02/my-swamp-creatures/comment-page-1/#comment-2961 George J. Janczyn Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:47:17 +0000 http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/?p=6510#comment-2961 So now you're a bog blog too! "hyperchlorinated bong water" is a wonderful term. I got a hearty chuckle out of that. Your lawn water estimate sounds about right. In my neck of the chaparral, the Helix Water District estimates 46 gallons per square foot per year (or 3.8 per month). As usual, outstanding photos. So now you’re a bog blog too!

“hyperchlorinated bong water” is a wonderful term. I got a hearty chuckle out of that.

Your lawn water estimate sounds about right. In my neck of the chaparral, the Helix Water District estimates 46 gallons per square foot per year (or 3.8 per month).

As usual, outstanding photos.

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