Everybody has a different setup for their pitcher plants outside. Here's ours, photographed while we were pulling everything out for spring cleanup.
The cedar box
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It's a simple cedar box lined with pond liner, stapled along the sides. Build whatever size fits your pots — most of our adult pitcher plants live in 9 × 9 × 11-inch-deep pots, and the boxes are sized around those.
A frame sits on top to cover the gap around the pots. The liner holds a reservoir of standing water, and in heavy rain the water level simply overflows the box instead of soaking the crowns. It also looks neat, because the top of the box sits level with the growth points.
This was originally an idea from our friend Warren; we copied it. Setting the boxes on stair stringers lets them stack in tiers.
Spring maintenance
Late winter is trimming time: cut off last year's browned pitchers before new growth starts (see the Sarracenia care guide).
This year we also tried a bug treatment before pollinators emerge — something we've used indoors when we have problems. We drenched the pots in a systemic insecticide (Safari, at a teaspoon per gallon), let them soak for about an hour, then put them back. We didn't leave them sitting in the treated water, to avoid any long-term buildup or necrosis. The goal is to knock back scale, thrips, and whatever else turns up outside.
One important step: check your planters for wildlife first. Toads overwinter in our boxes, and we pulled them out before treating anything.
