Creating a Bog Garden is a little more involved than sticking some plants that love moisture into a soggy part of your yard. It takes some planning, some planning, and some hard work. First of all you have to decide where a good spot is to put your bog garden. A place in your yard that’s soggy or collects water would be perfect. You’ll need to dig a trench with a flat bottom and sloping sides. Put all the soil you dig out on a tarp for use later. The deeper the trench, the less watering you’ll have to do. About 18 to 30 inches deep would be a nice size.
Next you line the hole with a hard shell liner or even a small plastic pool. The bottom of your bog should be watertight. However, you need to provide drainage for the top and sides. Poke small holes through the liner at intervals of about 12 inches apart. Your bog will need to stay moist evenly so you need to integrate a watering method.best stainless steel garden hose There are three ways you can do this.
1. Install a PVC pipe that has been perforated in each corner of the trench. Make sure you leave a few inches above the surface. Place your water source into the above ground end but make sure the end in the trench is plugged shut. When you turn on your water source, the water will seep through the perforated PVC pipe.
2. Another method is to place a smaller perforated pipe inside a larger one. Fill the space between the two with gravel. Make sure the end in the trench is plugged. Add your water source.
3. You also can run perforated PVC piping along the bottom of the trench. You then connect it with an elbow to one of the two methods mentioned above. You will need to cover the horizontal pipe with gravel so the drainage holes don’t become clogged.
Put half the dirt you dug out mixed with half compost and add to your bog garden if you want to plant non specialized bulbs, perennials and shrubs. If you want to grow bog adapted plants, fill your bog with a mixture of sand and peat moss. Whatever plants you choose to grow is the type of soil you will need to add to your bog.
Some plant selections to consider are:
Amazon lily, arrowhead, blue pickerel weed, cattail, duckweed, fairy moss, lotus, marsh marigold, parrot’s flower and pitcher plant.
You can find these plants and more at your online garden nursery.
