Make a Bog Garden

A small bog garden can allow you to grow a range of interesting plants that enjoy being waterlogged and in the constant presence of water. It can be an ideal solution for the corner of the garden that's always just a bit soggy or a garden that's always in the shade and on the damp side. Here is how to create a bog garden.

Steps

1. Dig out the area for your bog garden. It doesn't have to be large but it should be at least one metre in depth. Also, digging out lawn space is preferable as it's under-utilised space and the turf is handy for lining the bog. Keep the turf that you dig up.
2. Line the bog area. Once you've dug the hole, use black plastic pond liner to line it. Poke a few holes in the liner here and there.
3. Line the liner. Shovel over a layer of gravel and pebbles. Make this layer about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} high. Cover this with a layer of peat.
4. If you cut the bog space out of the lawn, place the pieces of turf back into the bog, facing upside down. If you used a different part of the garden, place those pieces back into the bog.
5. Fill the hole. Using decomposed plant matter, peat, fibrous plant material, and soil, fill the bog garden in.
6. Plant with suitable bog plants. Plants that might be ideal for your bog garden include:
   • Hostas
   • Bog primula (they need shade)
   • Irises
   • Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
   • Forget-me-nots
   • Polygonum
   • Crocosmias
   • Monardas (wild bergamot)
   • Some ferns.
7. Keep watered using a Choose an Environmentally Friendly Garden Hose. The moisture content will be retained much longer.
8. Fertilise with a liquid fertiliser. Do this regularly.
9. Weed regularly. Like any garden, weeds will grow and they need to be removed on a regular basis. Sedges can become a problem, as can buttercups, which will grow like weeds. Japanese iris will also grow like a weed.

Tips

• You may need to identify the bog garden using sticks, fencing, or other materials in case it's assumed it's just another soil covered area of the garden.

Things You'll Need

• Wet or damp garden space, shady
• Garden shovel
• Pond liner black plastic
• Something to poke holes with
• Turf area
• Soil, fibrous plant matter, peat
• Bog plants

Related Articles

• Make Your Garden Water Wise
• Add Fish to a Garden Pond
• Make a Pond
• Use Coco Peat Grow Bags for Gardening
• Make a Hydroponic Bog Garden (Water Recycling)
• Construct a Bog

Sources and Citations

• "Damp feet gardens in a bog", pp. 45-46, NZ Gardener, (January 1999) – research source

See also

• Make a Hydroponic Bog Garden (Water Recycling)
• Clean a Pond
• Make an Indoor Aquaponics System

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