I haven't tried this yet but it is on my list. Apparently it depends a lot on the plants you will put in (some like acid soil some not & some like low nutrients while others don't). I think in your area you probably shouldn't put holes in the bottom (I assume you are burying it - this will drastically reduce your water loss & keep the plants cooler).

Are you sure that you want to use metal?? It would work for a while but eventually will corrode and break down.

My container bog is pure peat. Many people use combinations of materials, but peat has worked fine with me. I grow mostly pitchers, also sundews and bog sage.

I get confused when I am reading about PH...is it nessesary to know this? Also does "add organic material" mean peat, or compost, or manuer? Is peat what makes soil acidic? Does good drainage mean that water can escape, because i thought that I wanted the water to stay there!!! UGH!

I use 10 to 12 inches of a 50/50 mix of peat and sand and put that on top of a few inches of packing peanuts. The reasoning behind the packing peanuts is to prevent the peat from rotting. I cut holes in the sides of my liner (in your case container) a few inches above the packing peanuts. I top most of it with dried unmilled sphagnum each spring leaving places for Dionea and Drosera to reseed. When rain isn't enough I pump water from an adjacent pond to keep it wet and I flood it every once in a while. Has worked well for CPs and orchids (also ANYTHING else nearby that wants to reseed itself).

Good luck! Bogs are a lot of fun.

Thanks, K Woods, that was very informative and helpful. I appreciate your responding.
Lynn

I'm using ~50-50 peat and sand...horticultural sand, not play or river sand...I think a lot of horticulturalists use builder's sand, as it's large grain and no salt. Wash it, anyway.

I recommend highly "The Savage Garden" by Peter D'Amato...one of the BEST CP books I've ever seen, and we're talking about my first intro to CP back in the late 70's in high school.