I'm moving this Saturday from Atlanta, Georgia to Ithaca, New York for grad school. If I have the time, I would like to set up a mini-bog planter a week or two after the move (either on an apartment balcony, or at the Cornell horticulture complex, where I will be working). I haven't set up a bog garden since about 10 years ago when I helped my dad set up a bunch of in-ground Sarracenia planters in the backyard. I figure that planting in spring is the ideal time to set up bog gardens, since it gives plants the entire growing season to acclimate, but I was wondering about the practicality of setting one up later in the growing season.
To give more background regarding the area/climate, Ithaca, New York is a solidly cold-temperate climate (USDA Zone 4b/5a) with long, cold winters and short mild summers with cool nights. Both D. rotundifolia, S.purpurea, and P.vulgaris are native to the immediate area(adjacent counties). With the exception of P.vulgaris, which has very specific habitat requirements (dripping cliff faces), I want to grow these native varieties. Additionally, I want to grow D. anglica, D. filiformis v. filiformis, and some European temperate pings like P.grandiflora, which I have heard adapt better to conventional sand-and-peat bog garden culture. I am looking forward to growing these varieties, since I could never grow them in Georgia.
Since all of the plants listed above are very cold-hardy, would there be any risk to planting them in late summer rather than spring, or would they need an entire growing season to acclimate? Also, since I only have room for a small container bog, rather than an in-ground one, what precautions can I take to prevent the whole thing from freezing solid for extended periods of time? I am almost certain that I will have access to an unheated garage or shed at work, so that would be my go-to plan for shelter during the coldest parts of winter.
To give more background regarding the area/climate, Ithaca, New York is a solidly cold-temperate climate (USDA Zone 4b/5a) with long, cold winters and short mild summers with cool nights. Both D. rotundifolia, S.purpurea, and P.vulgaris are native to the immediate area(adjacent counties). With the exception of P.vulgaris, which has very specific habitat requirements (dripping cliff faces), I want to grow these native varieties. Additionally, I want to grow D. anglica, D. filiformis v. filiformis, and some European temperate pings like P.grandiflora, which I have heard adapt better to conventional sand-and-peat bog garden culture. I am looking forward to growing these varieties, since I could never grow them in Georgia.
Since all of the plants listed above are very cold-hardy, would there be any risk to planting them in late summer rather than spring, or would they need an entire growing season to acclimate? Also, since I only have room for a small container bog, rather than an in-ground one, what precautions can I take to prevent the whole thing from freezing solid for extended periods of time? I am almost certain that I will have access to an unheated garage or shed at work, so that would be my go-to plan for shelter during the coldest parts of winter.