Adding a Bog Garden to Your Pond

A bog garden is a bed of moisture retaining soil that is spread over a pond liner.

You create a bog garden by spreading a layer of moisture retaining soil over a pond liner. When it comes to water features, this is probably the simplest one to install in your pond. The pond liner will also be helpful in retaining moisture in the soil. The same types of plants that will do well in a water garden will also be successful in a bog garden.

Some plants that have high moisture requirements, such as aquatic grasses, cattails, water iris, and umbrella palm will do very well if you are planting a bog garden in a moist climate. Plants that do not typically grow in dry climates can often be successfully planted in a dry climate bog garden.

If your pond area has a low spot that naturally collects water this would be the perfect natural location for your bog garden. Another good place for a bog garden is a clay spot which typically drains slowly. Sun will be vital for the proper growth of most of the plants you put in your bog garden. To ensure healthy growth of your plants be sure that there is at least six hours of sunlight each day in your chosen location.

Your water garden and your bog garden do not have to be connected. In fact, the level of moisture in your bog garden will be easier to maintain if they are not connected. Bog gardens which are independent of water gardens will need to be watered when they are dry, but can also be fertilized since the chemicals in the soil will not run into the water of your water garden.

Building an Independent Bog Garden
A dam will need to be built between your current water garden and your new bog garden before you can do any planting. It is important that you know the highest water level of your water garden and make sure the dam is higher than this level.

To protect it from breaking down your earthen dam will need to be covered with a liner. After applying your liner decorative rocks can be used to hold it down. You can now water your bog.

If you currently have a water garden and want the bog garden connected to it, you will need to take the existing liner from the water garden and splice it together with the new bog garden liner. Those who are building connected water and bog gardens at the same time will be able to bring the liner from the water garden into the bog garden, keeping it at depth of approximately six to eighteen inches.

When your water garden and bog gardens are connected they should be separated by a rock or stone dam built up on top of the liner. Make sure that your wall includes some holes so that water can enter the bog garden from the water garden. Another option is to install a PVC pipe for water drainage.

The inside face of the rock dam should be lined with plastic to prevent the soil from your bog garden from getting into your water garden.

Your bog garden should begin with a one to two inch thick layer of pea gravel. The purpose of the pea gravel is to allow the water in the soil to drain. Those who are creating their bog garden in clay should use a fork to pierce the liner every three feet or so to enable proper drainage of the soil.

You can add additional drainage later by using a long stake to pierce the liner under the soil. You should always be very careful about the level of drainage you include in a bog garden that is connected to a water garden. In this case excessive drainage in your bog garden could lead to excessive drainage in your water garden as well.

The soil that is used for a bog garden should have high humus content. Mixing together a high quality top soil and rich compost will give you the type of soil that you require. The two materials should be mixed at a one to one ratio.

Your bog should always be kept moist. Those in a dry climate may need to use a soaker hose or perforated pipe connected to an irrigation system along the bottom of their bog. Be sure that you dig down at least five inches when testing your bog’s soil for dryness. You should occasionally add compost to your bog garden to fertilize your plants.

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