Episode 1
Halfway between land and water, peat bogs are a perfect example of a semi-aquatic landscape, a realm of hidden water.
The name “peat bog” comes from the word “peat”, a set of plant remains that do not decompose entirely and form a sort of floating raft, a meadow on the water.
Life here is entirely related to the presence of water, which allows the growth of some plants and hinders it for others.
Always associated with life, water, in this case, may not be a favourable factor for many botanical species. In fact, most plants need well-ventilated and oxygenated soil, while a soil rich in water limits air circulation thus resulting hostile and unsuitable for many organisms.
Sphagnum moss, moss, Cyperaceae, grasses and hydrophilic plants populate this mysterious landscape making it a unique ecosystem of its kind.
Millennial plants
An unexpected water landscape, as if to say that not everything is what it seems. The subsoil of the peat bogs is a valuable site of biodiversity, a mosaic of micro-environments.
Among the plants that animate this floating world, there are Drosera (>Sensitive nature and the magical charm of Drosera ) and sphagnum, the typical peat bog moss which, thanks to its incredible ability to retain liquids, creates a soft “meadow” on the waters. This type of moss has remarkable antibacterial and antibiotic properties and is therefore perfect for the development of cuttings and for the germination of seeds (properties that also make it suitable for home care of suffering plants).
Thanks to the long sphagnum fibres, peat bogs are continuous and vertical growing carpets. While on the surface the plants grow upwards, in depth they die, creating a progressive accumulation of organic matter which, over time, forms peat: a wonder material that with its exceptional longevity (from hundreds to thousands of years ) can hide many secrets.