Bog Gardens by Just Liners

Bog Gardens

The easiest water feature to install is a bog garden. A bog garden is a bed of moisture-retaining soil spread over a pond liner. The pond liner helps the soil to retain water. Most marginal plants that do well in a water garden will also do well in a bog garden. Bog gardens located in moist climates can use plants with high moisture requirements such as water iris, cattails, umbrella palm and aquatic grasses. Bog gardens located in dry climates can use plants that would not otherwise grow in their region.

A low spot that naturally collects water may be the perfect site for a bog garden. Even clay with slow drainage may be a bog garden site. Most plants for bog gardens are sun lovers. Therefore, the bog garden site should receive at least six hours or more of daily sunlight.

A bog garden does not have to be connected to your water garden. The advantage of not being connected is it's easier to maintain the moisture level. When the soil seems dry, water it. You can also fertilize an independent bog knowing that the chemicals will not seep into your water garden.

Building an independent bog:
1. Build an earthen dam between the bog site and the water garden. Make sure the dam comes up to or above the water level of the water garden
2. Cover the dam with a flexible liner. Cover the liner with stone and water the bog.

If you choose to connect the bog to the water garden:
1. Add flexible liner to the existing water garden liner (by splicing together) or if a new water garden installation, continue the liner from the water garden into the bog (at a depth of 6 to 18 inches).
2. Build a stone dam between the bog and water garden on top of the liner. The dam must have a hole or two so water can seep in from the water garden. You can also insert PVC pipe through the dam.
3. Line the inside face of the rock with plastic so soil from the bog will not wash into the water garden.

The bottom layer of a bog should contain one to two inches of pea gravel. The pea gravel will allow the water to drain away from saturated soil. If you are installing the bog in clay, pierce the liner about every 3 feet with a garden fork (less in well-drained soils). If you determine later that the drainage is too slow, increase it by pounding a long stake into the soil through the liner. Be careful increasing the drainage of a connected bog. If the bog drains too much, the water garden will also lose water.

A bog garden should contain soil that is exceptionally high in humus. Mix good quality topsoil half and half with fine or sifted compost.

It is very important that your bog remains moist. In dry climates, consider an irrigation system using a soaker hose or perforated pipe along the bottom of the bog. Test for soil dryness at least 4 or 5 inches down. Fertilize your bog garden periodically with compost.

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