Creating a Bog Garden

A problem we often encounter is that the area around a pond is quite dry; you can solve this by using plants listed at the end of the Water Plant Supplement, or you can make a simple bog-garden.

We were the first to explain how to do this when Gardener’s World televised our Chelsea Stand in 1992. But it’s so easy we will repeat the instructions.

To create a simple bog garden:

• Dig a hole some two feet deep and as large as you require, line it with cheap plastic which should be perforated to provide drainage. Fill with well rotted manure or compost and put the earth back on top.
• This will be perfectly satisfactory for growing a wide range of damp loving plants, retaining sufficient moisture during dry spells and needing a minimum of topping up with water during droughts.