That's okay, that's what this forum's for, to learn and help others. You can use pollen on the same flower to pollinate. That'll work perfectly fine. The stamen are the thinner ones that surround the thicker one in the center, which is the pistil. Just dust the tips of the stamen over the tip of the pistil, once the tip of it opens up and looks fluffy. If they get pollinated, the petals will curl up. If the flower wasn't pollinated, I think it'll die back. But if it did, then the center of the flower will begin to swell up. You'll know they're ripe when the seed pod cracks open, just like it shows in the last pic of the diagram I first posted. I'm not entirely sure how long it takes tho. Since mine are outside, I think that some bugs have been helping to pollinate my flytraps' flowers, HaHa. I say that because I've seen bugs on the flowers, and I see pollen all over the flowers as if something has been crawling all over them. If you do get some seeds, the best time to plant them is as soon as possible, while they're still fresh. They *don't* need to be refrigerated or anything. Just sprinkle them on top of the soil and keep them watered and covered with clear plastic, so they don't dry out. Baby flytraps don't get very big at first, so you don't have to worry about them growing close together. I have a spare self-watering pot ready and waiting. I use a 50% peat moss/50% silica sand blend, with a very thin layer of silica sand sprinkled on top. I don't use sphagnum moss for this pot.

I agree with the previous posts, and I've found that perlite is less expensive that coir and helps with soil aeration more efficiently. Growing those two from seed is a big step, most people start with established plants. That being said, it's not impossible. I too live in the pacific northwest and I have two purpurea, purple pitcher plant, that do very well here. I have not tried my hand at the cobra lily, but I've heard it can be picky. I was told by a nursery owner that trickling water helps more than standing water and since in the wild they are often found near springs that makes sense. They are both native to N. America, so if you start your seeds now, you might see growth by the spring. They are both slow growers so don't be discouraged. Another good plant to try is nepenthes, or Asian pitcher plant which can be grown as a house plant all year round. There is a website, growcarnivorousplants.com that is located in this region that sells plants, has monthly care guide podcasts and care instructions on all the CPs. The book you got is also a great one. Good luck!

Dear Rocket Ken, I have some black bamboo and another large species (yet to be dug) that I will be bringing to the Fall Green Elephant Plant Swap in Redmond. Regards, FireVicar Here is a link that might be useful: Green Elephant Plant Swap

Probably the easiest are those that do not require any kind of a dormancy [or rest] period. Ones which instead like warm moist conditions all year round. Drosera [sundews]: some good candidates: D. capensis, & D. spathulata lowland Nepenthes: such as N. gracilis, N. ventricosa, N.ampullaria ***be forewarned that pretty much all the neps will at some point outgrow a small terr [15 gal or less] - and most rather quickly [w/in a year or two]. Pinguiculas [butterworts]: ex. P. primaflora Sarracenia [terrestrial pitcher plants] ***same problem as w/ neps Utricularia