A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Bog Gardening (Weezie!)

Weezie mentioned bog gardening in another topic, a subject I'd like to know more about, since my back yard is low and boggy.

We were talking about sweet flag and flag irises, both of which like moisture. I started bee balm (monarda) last year and it returned, so I think it likes it, too.

What is a bog garden? Is it just moisture-loving plants or is it designed to resemble a wild bog?

One year i tried bog andromeda, but it got bogged down!
:rolleyes:

Bess of the Piedmont,
This is something I am very interested in doing. I have been reading up on this one...
I went to another forum like this one and has a huge section on it but no one has answered a question I needed some info on. I had heard of making an make~shift one out of a bag of peatmoss. Dig hole, put bag in hole, fill with water for 2,3,4 days and let the moss fill up with water. And you have a little one quick one. But I need to know the full how to's...... maintainence, winterizing. Bag deterioration of the bag. I have also heard of old kiddie pools (even with holes or crack's in them) to be utilized.
I'll send in some sites when I come back from the doctor's, the pharmacy and shopping!
You should see all the fun stuff you can do!!
Weezie

Here's a few sites on plants and sites for bog gardening...
http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Home_and_Garden/Lawn_and_Garden/Bog/
http://www.turnersouth.com/southern-living-presents/story/0,10907,72,00.html
http://www.waterloogardens.com/care_sheets/aquatic/bog_choosing.html
http://www.plantideas.com/bog/
http://www.backyardgardener.com/bog/
http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/Articles/Artbog.html

Happy reading.......
I'll find the other forum I joined and send the link to that....
The carnivour plants are quite interesting. I don't think my zone would allow them but I bet they're alot of fun!!!
Weezie

Wow, Weezie, you're a fount of information! I'm going to go study those sites.

Carniverous plants? Hope they don't chew on this vegetarian! But I'll bet they're fascinating.

Hey! I have a broken child's plastic swimming pool that I used as a holding tank for some plants I had to move last year. Glad I haven't tossed it!

Your Pal
Bess

Bess,
Some one answered my question on the other forum about the bag of peatmoss as a make~shift bog. I'll send the link!!!
It's just as I remembered but I'm still looking for winter maintainence as these darn cold winter months get in the way of gardening.
http://backyardgardener.com/water/
click on creating a mini~bog garden

Another girl (Kareen) answered on there too and she said she does in a garbage bag.... She planted a Ligularia inside the bag (heavy duty garbage bag) then mounded the dirt up to it and then mulched over the top of it. She lives up here in zone 5 too so I guess it should work for me.

I was thinking of using my broken kiddie pools (I have 3) but it will depend how much sweet talkin' I can do to get my hubby to let me have them.... I'd have to get 3 very large holes... to get below the frost line with those. What zone are you?? 6 or 7?
It would work for your zone with out much extra work. Probly wouldn't even need to bury it. Just mound the dirt up to it.

Have you seen any carnivour (sp) sites?

Weezie

Weezie-
We sort of straddle zones 6 and 7 here. We were listed officially on the latest zone map as zone 7, but we have a subclimate in our back yard (and we're only on 3/4 acre!) which I swear gets frost two weeks before the front yard does. Our front yard is sandy and our back yard is boggy in the spring and fall. It's kind of nice, in a way.

I particularly loved the http://www.plantideas.com/bog/ site. Good info and what an eye-popping photo! I wouldn't mind having a spot like that in the yard!