A bog or wetland garden is ideal for those gardeners who love damp places. Even in a small space, temperate zone gardeners can create a bog garden in a container or a single bed.
Choosing a Location for the Small Bog Garden
Gardeners who have a naturally wet area in the garden, don’t despair! A wetland, rain garden or bog garden is a perfect fit for that space. Choose an area next to water, if possible – the spray from a fountain or water diverted from a rain chain or a rain barrel can keep the soil consistently damp. Place the bog garden in a partial sun or shady area to avoid evaporation.
Containers for the Small Bog Garden
To build a small bog garden, choose a container that is poorly drained. This seems counterintuitive to many gardeners. Use a plastic pond liner to create an area with poor drainage. Poke holes in the liner so that the area does not actually become a pond. It is also possible to use pots and other household containers. Simply ensure that they do not have too much drainage, or all of the precious wetland water will drain away.
Substrates for the Bog Garden
The bog garden needs to remain a damp place, or bog plants will not survive. To create a wetland, start with the correct location and a good container. Add a mixture of compost, clay-based garden soil, leaves, and moss. Make sure that the soil contains more clay than sand, since sand helps moisture drain away. A layer of moss or bark mulch at the top of the garden helps keep the garden damp.
Plants for the Small Bog Garden
Hostas (Hosta spp) are amazing plants with beautiful variation in their foliage. Miniature hostas are particularly suitable for the small bog garden. The lofty ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is also an excellent choice – let it be the central feature of a small garden and it will stretch its fronds over smaller, shade-loving plants. Flowering plants like the iris (Iris spp) and marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) like to live in the bog garden, as do some rushes and sedges. An eclectic gardener may also want to try more daring plants like the sundew (Drosera spp), a carnivorous plant. Be sure to purchase these from a nursery instead of harvesting them from the wild, since they are threatened in some areas. Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum) is a woody plant that does well in temperate wetland areas. Mosses love wet places, and they are an excellent choice as a groundcover for the bog garden.
Bog and wetland gardens are the perfect small gardens for that wet place in the yard. They also afford the small space gardener an opportunity to highlight plants that are not always the focus of a traditional garden. Use creative containers, pond liners, and substrates to enhance or create a small bog garden.
