Nothing wrong with bog standard

TO CREATE a bog garden from scratch, excavate your designated area to a depth of 45cm. Roughly calculate the volume of soil you will need to shift (length x width x depth), and if this seems excessive, consider reducing the size of the area.

Line the hole with polythene sheeting or Butyl pond liner (at least 0.5mm thick). Place bricks or stones on the edge to stop it shifting as you walk on it. Pierce the liner at 1m intervals with a garden fork. Lay a length of leaky hosepipe or porous pipe in the bottom and seal the far end. The other end needs to come up and out of the bog garden, so that it can be used to apply water for irrigation.

Cover the bottom and the leaky hose with a 2.5-5cm layer of coarse grit or gravel. Replace the excavated soil, removing weeds and large stones in the process. If the soil is low in organic matter, incorporate compost, leaf mould or well-rotted manure. The level will be higher than originally but will settle in time.

Only flatten the soil lightly, as heavy compaction will result in poor growing conditions. You’ll need to continue to weed the soil as it settles further, and once it’s settled back to its natural level, the bog garden is ready for planting.

If you have an area of your garden that is naturally waterlogged all year round, you may not need a liner to create a bog garden. However, be aware that bog garden plants do need some drainage and air around their roots. They will not thrive where the soil is so wet or compacted that water pools on it and little drainage occurs.

Tempted? Here are some ideal bog-garden candidates to consider...