I am currently in the process of creating a small bog area in my garden (approx 1.5m x 1.5m). I have a couple of plant types already to plant in ther (Hosta and Astilbe), but i am looking for some other suitable plants for the new bog. Basically nothing that gets huge (so no Gunneras please!), likes alkaline soil and has a long(ish) season of interest.
Many thanks
Drumstick primulas, Lobellia "Queen Victoria", some of the Iris, a dwarf Philadelphus might enjoy it, they like it boggy!! Mosses would look lovely. Though I do love a Gunnera!! Happy planting Lottie ;D
Quote from: undercarriage plan on July 04, 2005, 20:55:27
Drumstick primulas, Lobellia "Queen Victoria", some of the Iris, a dwarf Philadelphus might enjoy it, they like it boggy!! Mosses would look lovely. Though I do love a Gunnera!! Happy planting Lottie ;D
Mmm sounds nice. Not sure about philadelphus though. I like gunneras too, trouble is if I had one there wouldnt be room for anything else! My bog garden woud become a Gunnera container.
Thanks for reply.
Gunnera's nice, there's a place on the coastal footpath in West Cornwall where it runs (or did last time Iwas along there) across a little valley carpeted with the stuff. walking under all these giant rhubarb leaves feels really wierd.
I'd love to see that! I have one in the garden, it's just a baby, but still already about 5ft across!! They're very ancient plants aren't they? Lottie ;D
You could try an Arum lily - leaves look lovely and flowers are gorgeous.
i have 2 bog gardens and love moisture loving plants, one of my favorites is meadow sweet here is a list of some but please read up as some grow huge and are very invasive
peltiphyllum peltatum(umbrella plant)
polygonum bistorta(snake weed)
ligularia dentata (and the rocket)
osmunda regalis royal fern
rodgersia
lysichiton americanus( skunk cabbage, bog arum)
brunnera macrophylla( siberian bugloss)
this is just a few of my favorites and seem to grow very well for me
Quote from: undercarriage plan on July 05, 2005, 12:55:09
I'd love to see that! I have one in the garden, it's just a baby, but still already about 5ft across!! They're very ancient plants aren't they? Lottie ;D
Any excuse for a piccy ;D They do get rather large especially in Cornwall. 8)
(http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/4338/gun14lj.jpg) (http://www.imageshack.us)
You could try your luck with a couple of native sundews,
Mark
Wow, Roy!! Fantastic, more than jealous now!! Can't wait for my baby to grow, will send pic of me sitting under it next year!! With glass of wine and plastic dinosaur!!! Lottie ;D
wow roy mines not quite that big yet , nice pic
ps lottie when u have finshed with your plastic dinosaur perhaps i could borrow it for under my gunnera ;D ;D ;D ;D
I dwarfed my gunnera by planting it in a sturdy plastic bag and then the soil - it only gets to about a metre high, which is enough for my tiny back garden.
Do wish I had room for one as big as Roy's though... ;))
;D A slight misunderstanding, the piccy was taken somewhere in Cornwall, not in my garden, but this one was ;D
(http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/6172/gun6gf.jpg) (http://www.imageshack.us)
Wow. Very impressive.
Er Roy thats almost as big as the one in cornwall! You should have taken and posted a pic of yourself under that one. We wouldn't have noticed the difference!
(SIGH) I wish i had room for one of those. Trouble is my new bog is in the lowest/flatest part of the garden that has soil. That area is pretty small. Somehow i dont think a bog garden would look quite right on a steep slope! ::)
My Gertie Gunnera is planted into a pot which I have sunk into the soil, she seems happy enough and not too huge after 5 years!
In my bog garden I have arum lillies, Geum (can't remember what type) Hostas, ligularia, and other plants who's names escape me!
Carnivorous plants favour bogs, and there are north american varieties that will tolerate our climate.
:o Believe it or not, my gunnera is in a crock pot :o and has been there for several years, it is not as big as last year but it will get there as there's plenty of summer growing time left yet. ;D 8)
My garden is postage stamp size ;D
Yours is nearly as big Roy , seems to be thriving
Astilbe also does well in a bog garden - I have on in my bog area.
Debs
The Kafir lilies like plenty of water Richard. If you remember, I posted a message re them growing in my pond. They do spread, but are easily managed. Herewith photo.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v168/gardengirl2004/A4A%20photos/Kafirlilies.jpg)
How about some lovely water-loving natives such as Ragged Robin, Geum Rivale and quaking grass? I have all three in the boggy bit by my pond. Do you want seeds?
How about ligularia. Has a leaf somewhere between a gunnera and rubarb but only grows about the size of rubarb although leaves much smaller, will tolerate shade and has lovely big daisy like yellow flowers or tall racemes dependant on variety. When they die off you get left with a pom-pom sort of flower head.
An image search on google will find loads of them cos my description is awful thinking about it!!!!  :-\
Another option is Astilbe - lots of sizes and colours. The picture below is of the ones in my garden tonight.
http://client.webshots.com/photo/388860218/388860873fYGRiL
Dibber, my dinosaur is yours!! Just pm with your address........?! Lottie ;D
Many thanks to all who have replied with Ideas. Much appreciated.
Plenty of 'food for thought' there. I now have LOADS of planting ideas, however astilbe (got it already in pots) and ligularia (long admired plant) will be definite ones for the list.
Aqui - many thanks for the offer, but i already have some ragged robin seeds, and a couple of suitable grasses (plants), so sadly i will have to decline you.
As it turns out finding plants to go in the bog garden has not been as hard as i thought. The real hard bit has been building the garden/bed in thefirst place! I seem to have shifted loads of soil already(to get site level), but still havent got as far as digging out for the liner yet!!!
How about some of the following
Ensata iris, these are really beautiful, huge flowers.
Zantedeschia - my favourite is Pink Mist, lovely deep pink in the throat fading to white on the edge.
Caltha palustris Flore Pleno - lovely tight golden yellow buttons.
Lysichiton camschatchensis - a white version of the 'skunk cabbage' but this one doesn't have the unpleasant smell.
Rodgseria Podophylla - fab autumn colour.
Trollus - so many lovely forms of this are available it's hard to pick one.
thanks lottie can i really have the dinosaur
Just an update.
I have now got the main planting done in my bog garden.
I have included:
Hostas
Astilbe
Ligularia
Lobelia (not 'Queen Victoria' but similar)
Primula (a white candelabra type)
An ornamental grass (which I thought was a carex but turns out to be a phalaris - which i have planted within a big pot to contain it)
Alstromerias (I found out they like/tolerate moist soil so thought i'd try them out - I have plenty anyway)
I may add more or change this as time goes on (for instance if the hostas get too slug/snail damaged next year). Just depends on what works.
I also have incorporated a small pool into the area. It is onlt big enough for two plants plus a pump/fountain. Too shady for a lilly, and too small for an iris, so went for water mint for height plus a 'Sisyrinchium californicum', which has grass like leaves and small yellow flowers. If I find something better (like a dwarf iris) I'll change it, but it will be alright for now.
weldone sounds like its coming along nicely , you will have to post picture and keep us updated :) :)
Quote from: dibberxxx on August 04, 2005, 12:45:54
weldone sounds like its coming along nicely , you will have to post picture and keep us updated :) :)
Will Do! :)