Bog planting

There are a whole host of wonderful plants that cope well with heavy soils and damp conditions and positively love having their ‘Feet Wet’. So give up on the waterlogged lawn or the muddy patch and let blog plants bring colour and texture to the damp areas of your garden. Here are a few to consider.

Ligularia stenocephala ‘The Rocket’

Ligularia stenoccphala ‘The Rocket’: A must for any bog planting, this plant has distinctive round leaves with serrated edges and tall dark stems reaching to 1/1.5m in height on which a succession of small bright yellow daisy flowers opening up the stem. Flowering in late summer giving a colour boast to the bog garden in late summer. Grow in full sun , but will tolerate a little shade. Grow in moist to damp soil.

Lobelia ‘Dark Crusador’

Lobelia ‘Dark Crusader’: This is a show stopper of a plant for the bog area. It has dark purple leaves and stems and tall spires up to 1m of individual dark marron red flowers from mid to late summer. Moist to damp soil, but not completely water logged. Sun to dappled shade. It is not completely hardy so in colder sites protect from frost. But it is worth it.

Lysimachia puncata

Lysimachia punctara: This is a vigorous bog plant that makes great sweeps in a damp to wet area, so it may need to be kept in check. A tall plant up to 75cm with whorls of mid green leaves and butter yellow flowers grouped with the leaves from mid summer until the first frosts. Grow in full sun.

Aruncus dioicus ‘Kneiffi’

Aruncus dioicus ‘Kneiffi’:A wonderful elegant plant for the edges of a boggy area, where the soil is damp but not water logged, It grows well in semi-shade. It has attractive finely cut leaves and then tall stems  up to 1m of white clouds of flowers are produced in mid to late summer.

Primula japonicia

Primula japonica: No bog planting would be complete with out an array of candelabra primula and Primula japonica dose not disappoint as the colours vary from white, to light pinks, shades of darker pink to purple. The plants produces a base clump of leaves and then in May and June the magic really begins with it’s flowers in ascending whorls in up to  5  or 6 tiers along the flowering stem. Reaching a height of 45cm tall. Plant on mass on the damp edges of the bog area in semi-shade and enjoy!

Rheum palmatum

Rheum palmatum: This ornamental member of the Rhubarb family adds jungle drama to the bog garden. It produces a Basel crown of huge 1m plus toothed edged leaves, with dark red under side. It also produces a 1.5/2m flower stem with small white flowers. But it is all about the foliage. It likes good moist/damp soil and must not dry out. In sun to semi-shade.

I hope I have inspired you to look again at that damp area in your garden and see it as potential rather than a problem, if you would like help to create a bog garden, possible even as part of a rain garden scheme then I know just the woman to help. Give me Emily a call to discuss all your garden design needs. Tel: Emily at Arcadia Garden Design  01273 470753.