OMG, I came home today and the tree guy cleared a ton behind and around the sauna. I now have a dappled bog area with stone wall exposed (wha would love it!) But it's buggy.
So now I have to make some plant decisions. Water loving iris? A climber? Pitcher plants? What would you do?? It should be very low maintenance since it's not an easy spot to trim (brooks, stones, and barbed wires, etc.)

He cut down some trees that were very close to the sauna, too.


Primula japonicas are already there.

My rhodie roseum is opening in front of the sauna. It is like a swamp pink but bigger flower. Same marvellous scent!

The pitcher plants would help with the bugs, and don't need much care. There's always the bog orchids. I love the iris when they are in bloom, but the ones I'm familiar with look pretty ratty when dormant.
The primulas look really pretty there, and the rhodie is to die for! Another of those plants I only see in pictures. Sigh....

Yah, some pitcher plants for sure! I'm not sure what bog orchids would so well here.

None of my Orchids planted into the Bog survived, except I have Spiranthes coming up on a few places in the Bog.
I had Flag Iris, but I had to pull them out because they really took over my small bathtub Bog. If you have a good size Bog, I found them to be really pretty.
The Jack in the Pulpit came back again and had added some more growth.
Pitcher plants survived and so did the small hardy Sundew.

I should talk to Black Jungle. Maybe move the Louisiana irises.

Kathy, Habenaria dilatata (bog rein orchid) is the only one I'm familiar with. dilatata is a SSP, indiginous to the eastern Sierras, but there others. This one grows at about 1500 ft where they usually get 10' of snow. More this year, I think

That's a nice one but I will have maybe half day sun there. I'll do research. I know the ones that grow here are more like pogonias, different habenarias, and helleborines. Ursula which ones didn't make it?

A gorgeous Calopogon tuberosus never came back the next year.
Two Cyp reginae - one came back last year, this year both are gone.
I placed several corms of Habenaria radiata into the established Moss, they just got swallowed up.
Spiranthes on the other hand do come up easily from seed.

This would be too wet for cyps. My reginaes like lime and lots of mulch to spread their roots wide under it.

Our little bog is tilted somewhat - on purpose, so you would have a bit of a wetness gradient. The Cyps were in the most shallow part.
Lime you say. Hmm. Maybe that was missing.

I came to play too.

I think some of the water loving irises would be beautiful there.

How about clethra or kalmia, as a shrub, myosotis, astilbe does amazingly well in wet partial shade. Trollius, lobelia, the groundcover geraniums, like Biokovo,

Hmmmmm. Making me think, Polly! I was thinking of a wall of shrubs (hydrangeas, pieris, or viburnum) to the right of the bench since all the brush is piled there.

Virburnum? Noooooo......

I have an amazing wall of viburnum that I love under the maples near the willow tree.

That IS very pretty!
I am just visualizing the Virburnums at our place in Pennsy, which really seem to take over if not kept in check.

Beautiful, Kathy! Wish I had room for shrubs. !

So I bought 4 of those today!!!!

I spent the morning clearing the edge of the bank so you can watch the brook zigzag along from the bench.


And looking the other way will be the viburnums. Here they are ready to be unstrung and planted. The primroses are loving the increased light.

Looks like a very sweet romantic spot! The Primroses look lovely.