How to create base of bog garden?

Blueboots

I have a leaking cement pond that I am going to turn into a bog garden. I've been advised to put some holes in the bottom, then put some poor soil in and that's it - just plant it up with marginal plants.

This seems too easy. Is that really all I have to do? I thought I'd need gravel or something in the bottom. I have some (new) septic tank pipe (~6" diameter and full of holes) if that would be useful.

My husband wants to drill holes in the bottom of the pond - I'd just go at it with a sledge hammer.

...and where do you get poor soil?

punkdoc

Smash some holes anyway you fancy, dont worry about gravel or with poor soil, as you will be planting into it. Should be brilliant there are so many wonderful plants for bog gardens.

Fairygirl

Think punkdoc's got that covered quite well bboots! Loads of nice plants you can put in and it'll attract lots of wildlife too 

Blueboots

As long as it doesn't attract mosquitos, we have those already .

So I just smash the base, throw in any soil I can get hold of, and plant. Brill! There are some nice irises lurking in the bottom already, I'll preserve those while I prepare the base.

Actually there's a waterlily that might still be viable. I have a more natural looking pond at the bottom of the back garden, choked with bulrushes. If I pull out all the bulrushes the lily might grow nicely down there.

This is the front pond that's going to become a bog garden:

 

this is the back pond that I'm going to rescue:

 

 

auntie betty

lovely! Yeah, dont worry about 'poor' soil. Just any spent compost u've got plus topsoil. I also wouldnt worry too much about holes - hit it with a lump hammer afew times and you're away. Cracks are better than holes provided they do go right thru. U cud also bung any bits of polystyrene (plant trays, packaging) in the bottom to encourage water to sit low, rather than right at the surface where freezing/stagnation a possible issue. I can recommend getting some darmera peltata btw. Does the job of a gunnera, but much hardier and smaller enough to be of better scale. Love it. Got loads spare actually if you're Yorkshire area! Ooh, and I'd do astilbes too. Yum.

Blueboots

I had to look up those plants. I'm not sure about gunnera - I think it would fill the space completely and then some! Thanks for the offer of some darmera peltata, but I'm in somerset. I do like the idea of astilbes, they look gorgeous.

Generally what you see of the pond from the house is just the little wall round the edge (the house is down the slope to the right of the picture). What I could use is something that grows to about 4 feet high, then does it's flowering thing at the top . There's a nice place to sit up by the pond, I should just plant nice things of whatever height and spend more time up there.