making a bog garden
dan brady
Posts: 11
hello everybody,
i've started to dig out a bog garden, would like a pond but too many kids sharing the garden. anyone got some simple, simple, simple tips? nothing too boffin-like? and what about plants? would love to encourage wild life, frogs, toads, crabs, giraffes, pine-martens, white tailed sea eagles,wayne rooney, duckdoo's? what's a duckdoo? quack, quack! aiming a bit high but one must dream? many thanks.
dan
0
Posts
thank you sara 4. that's smashing advice. good tip regards the hose. i saw something on tv about hosta's saying you can eat the leaves? anyone tried this? just need to get stuck in later today. good luck with your pond and bog sara, these things add such a lot more fun and interest to the garden. it would be great to see a dragon-fly visiting, and wayne rooney is always welcome, but keep your ball away from my green-house!
A plant called ' gunnera manicata ' think that's spelt right is a great addition to any bog garden. This plant does grow to a big size with huge leaves, almost prehistoric looking. I think they need a bit of protection in the winter. Cover the crowns with straw, fleece Etc etc
I have built more than 2 bog gardens as I love the plants within them so much. For each one I removed about 60cm of soil, layed an old butyl liner in the bottem in which I pierced quite a lot of holes, and a length of hose with pin holes in it that layed along the bottom in the middle of the liner, with the top of it coming out hust above level ground which i attched a hose end to so that I could water the trench at the bottom with a hose. I then tipped in about 3cm of gravel into the bottom then refilled all the soil back in. I planted it with astilbe, ligularia przewalskii, hosta's and candelabra primulas. I another nog garden I have which is built almost in the same way except it is fed by a stream which is topped up by the water off of my roof via a wheel I have I have planted atstible, drum stick primulas, gunnera magellanica (a tiny gunnara which is fully hardy), ferns, iris ensata. golden sedges, hostas and delmera peltata.
hi dazzler, hi wrightt,
thanks for replies. great advice, again the hose trick, seems a must? lots of stuff for me to mull over whilst continuing my bog slog. i like the sound of your heath robinson stream feeding watering system wrightt, cool! thanks again. i think wayne rooney would feel right at home running around under gunnera mantica? or am i missing a link here?
Unless you've got several acres I'd avoid a gunnera they grow rather big http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/358.shtml
I'd go for a Rodgersia
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/3006.shtml
another good architectural plant that likes to have it's feet damp, but it won't grow bigger than your house!
dovefromabove, bob was always the funnier one? thanks for ideas, that's one big 'ol plant. wonder if you could smoke it? you'd have to use a double-sheet to wrap it in? i'd love to have a garden big enough but sadly not. the rodgersia is a pretty wee thing, lovely colour. thanks for the bamboo idea sara4. potential food source for the roo?
I too have dug a bog garden. It is about six to eight foot long but narrow and sits behind my 'wildlife pond' or puddle really. I dug down a good 18 inches, chucked away all the rubble and lined it with pond liner (forked with holes) and the hose pipe idea, also 'holed'. I put lots of compost into the hole - I also lined it with the turf, upside down as I read this was good. I now grow snakeshead frittilliary, candelabra primulas, astible and equesetum (not the horsetail one which is invasive, think its japonica). The hose pipe needs to be closed at one end or the water comes out! (I know - didn't think of that). It doesn't seem to sttract much wildlife although we have frogs in the pond and other creatures. Neither does it seem to remain very boggy. But the astilbe, which never thrived elsewhere inb my garden is very happy.
hi janfran,
more good tips, thanks. i suppose location is pretty important too? if you build it...kevin costner will come! my garden, it's my dad's really but he thinks the garden is for opening the kitchen window and throwing out anything he dose'nt eat, that'll do the foxes! we have obese foxes now that get wedged in fences, don't know how many times the fire brigade have been sent for, they bring a huge tub of trex and rubber gloves, i'd go along the gavin hastings route myself. ideally i'd go for the pond but those pesky kids! i will carry-on and with all the good advice i will get some pleasure from my endeavours, a frog or two and maybe a small hernia thrown in!
Bog gardens are very good looking. its very thick and green garden in looking. alot of big plants or flower plants you have to planted there. then you also have to take some pets like ducks, dogs hens. what ever you like or can easily handle.