bog garden/pond

hiacedrifter

I'd like to create a wildlife pond, with bog plants around the edge. How do you stop the "soil" that the plants are in sliding down into the main pond? I was thinking about having the bog garden/pond separated by a ridge - any thoughts? And what do people use for "soil" - aquatic compost seems very expensive, and garden compost has too many nutrients. 

Slow-worm

You buy mesh pots, use aquatic soil, put grit or gravel on the top, make 'shelves' for the shallower ones, and plop them on the shelf. 
Garden soil isn't really right for pond plants, so it's worth getting aquatic soil.
Personally, I'd have the bog Garden as a shallow shelf, so you don't have to top it up in dry weather.

Posy

I've never found a way to stop the soil escaping from the pots. Every now and again I just scoop out some of the gunge and put it on the compost heap.

Redwing

hiacedrifter said:

 And what do people use for "soil" - aquatic compost seems very expensive, and garden compost has too many nutrients. 

Garden soil works well for pond plant pots and a whole lot cheaper than aquatic compost.  Avoid adding any organic matter.  Good plan in your diagram.

Joyce Goldenlily

Lining the baskets with hessian squares "helps" retain the soil although with time, you will still have to top up. The squares can be bought in aquatic shops, GC's that have a fish section or online. It is also possible to byr hessian on a roll. ie upholstery suppliers.

Slow-worm

You could build the shallower levels with a bit of a channel, so the soil which comes out sits in the dip. Once the pond's settled it'll look after itself anyway, and  fallen leaves, twigs, bits of bird/small animal poo etc will create nutritional 'soil'.