BOG GARDENS IN CONTAINERS

If you are limited on space and would like to experiment with bog gardens, you can create a small wetland or bog area using a watertight container such as a half barrel, an old bathtub, a trough, or even a child's wading pool.  If you live in a cold climate, a a good bog garden container would be one made of plastic or wood as they will not crack when they freeze in the winter.


When filling your bog container, use a growing medium made up of half compost, half good garden soil for bog plants and half peat moss and half sand for your more specialized bog plants.  After planting your bog container, you can set it next to your pond.

If you have a busy life style or you plan to be away on vacation, your bog garden container will still need to be watered.  You might want to consider adding an automatic watering system to irrigate your container with bog plants.  You can use a simple homemade device such as a plastic gallon jug with a nail hole punched in the bottom.  Once filled with water, it will slowly drip until the jug is empty.  Another, but more elaborate option for irrigating your bog garden container is to connect a line running from an automatic drip-irrigation system to the bog container.

                                                                                                                                            
 

In the winter, as with any water garden, your bog garden container will need special care.  If the plants that you are growing are in the northern edge of their hardiness range, you can sink the container into the ground for the winter before you mulch.  You can also move your bog garden container to a place that is protected, such as a garage.  Be sure and periodically check your bog garden container for moisture levels to assure the soil does not dry out.




Violet Stemmed Tarro
 

   A violet stemmed Tarro would make a good addition to your bog garden container.  Visit Live Aquaria.com to see the different varieties of bog plants.