Creating a Bog Garden

This article discusses tips and tricks for creating a bog garden, including how to line the bog what to plant around it to keep it maintenance free.

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Whether a bog brings to your mind images of the green hills of Ireland or the sultry summers in the Southern United States, creating a bog garden of your own can add a unique and interesting element to your home. Bogs attract wildlife of all types and are perfect for nature lovers. These balmy gardens require very little maintenance once they are started. With proper placement, a well-constructed bog garden can actually help regulate water flow to prevent flooding and filter runoff to inhibit pollution.

Because a bog is a unique type of habitat, a bog garden requires a little careful planning. A natural bog has low levels of oxygen, which hinders the decay of dead plants. The remains of plants build up and form a thick layer of peat in the bog. In a natural bog, most water is supplied by rainfall, so the water and soil in a bog is typically low in minerals and very acidic. Natural bogs also receive plenty of sun. Mimicking these natural conditions will help your bog thrive. To do this, find a low point in your yard or garden, perhaps one that has poor drainage and tends to retain water. This is the ideal environment for a bog. The area should receive mostly sun, so an open area that is not blocked by trees or shrubs is best. Falling foliage can disturb a bog, which is another reason to keep it away from towering greenery. Bogs do well in places where they won't be disturbed by a lot of activity. Ideally, your bog garden should be able to receive lots of rainwater.

Starting a bog garden from scratch is not as complicated as it may seem. You can start building your bog garden anytime from fall to early spring. A good size for a bog garden is at least five feet by five feet. A bog pool can be dug in the center to simulate a true bog. This pool should be about two feet deep. A depth of one foot is ideal for a marsh environment that can border the bog pool. Remove any sharp stones, rocks, or roots from the hole. Then line the area with sand or gravel for drainage. The hole will need to be lined. A variety of liners can be used. PVC sheeting and butyl rubber are both quite strong, but most people find polythene sheeting to be most convenient, since it is easy to find and fairly inexpensive. Polythene sheeting should be doubled to ensure its strength. A few small perforations in the liner will ensure the bog water does not become too stagnant. The liner in the marsh area needs better drainage than the pool and should be well perforated. After lining the area, the bog pool should be filled with a mix of three parts peat and one part sand, and then completely saturated in water. The marsh area should be filled with a mixture of soil and compost.

Of course, it isn't necessary to build your bog from scratch. If you have an existing pond, that is an excellent place to start a bog. Plants that grow well in bog pools can be grown in the pond, with bordering bog plants as well. If you are short on space, a bog garden can also be grown in containers. The ideal containers for container bog gardens are at least twelve inches deep and twelve inches wide. With a larger container, moisture levels will be more easily regulated. The containers should be filled with the peat and sand mixture to promote the growth of your bog plants.

Bogs require a quiet location that will be disturbed as little as possible. To help protect your bog garden, use stepping stones, bricks, or gravel as a border around your garden to provide a way to observe the beauty of your bog garden without disturbing it. A low fence bordering your bog garden can protect it from trampling feet and curious critters.

Bog gardens do not require extensive maintenance. Keeping your bog garden wet is one of the most important things to do to help your garden thrive. Rainwater will promote the most growth and variety, but it is not absolutely necessary. Tap or well water can also be used. Consider collecting rain water in a large container and running a pipe to your bog garden to keep moisture levels high. Keep the area around your bog clear to prevent cover from blocking sunlight. Fertilization is never recommended, since bogs need very little nutrition to thrive. A high level of nutrients can actually harm your bog garden. Winter is the best time to prune your bog. Once a year, simply trim away overgrowth and make sure the bog pool is kept open.

Most plants that will thrive in a bog habitat will need to be planted in the autumn or in the spring. Plants that generally do well in bogs include cardinal flower, cranberry, bog myrtle, bee balm, sundew, butterwort, pine hibiscus, and blazing star. Buttercup and bogbean do particularly well in a bog pool. For the marshy areas of your bog garden, consider plants like water horsetail, water mint, and flag iris.