My bog is 18 inches deep. It is filled with long fiber sphagnum moss that is mounded up. The top of the mound is about 3-4 inches above the water line. I keep water in the bog year round. The bottom part of the sphagnum is completely saturated, always in water.

Most carnivorous plants that grow in a bog, nearly all, do best in full sun (6 hours or more). I also grow orchids in my bog, but they prefer sun as well. There are some shade loving ferns that would do well in a bog environment.

As for bog fill, I used 100 percent sphagnum, others use 50 percent sphagnum and 50 percent sand. It's really a personal choice, no right answer, both methods work.

But avoid using potting soil or introducing fertilizer to your bog. Bogs are low nutrient environments. High nutrient environments are swamps. Very different plants grow in a bog then what grows in a swamp.

See if your State Department of Natural Resources has any information about bog plants for your area. They may have written a brochure with a native bog plant list. Perhaps there is a State Park or National Forest near you where you can examine what grows in a native bog. Once you have an idea of what grows naturally in your area, you can head off to a commercial greenhouse and see what you can find.

Hope this helps.

Tom