Nevermore's new bog (movie!)

[nevermore44]

I finally adding in my long planned bog! Thanks everyone for all the info.

MOVIE - with audio




It is 14-18 deep with a peat / sand mix. hopefully the fence will shield the plants from the wind we get sometimes. It's a newer neighborhood, so there aren't a lot of old trees to slow things down. The walkway has a slight slope away from the bog, so i won't get runoff.

I am trying the reservoir idea that has been brought up periodically here. That is what the pvc pipe sticking out the top is. I will cut it shorter and paint it dark to hide it. It is a 3.5 gallon plastic container drilled with a ton of holes and then wrapped in landscape fabric. I am sure the water flow to it will be quite slow, but i can at least use it as a "dip-stick" of sorts and i can pump water out of it to maybe help the media from completely becoming stagnant. I bought a little pump that you can just hook up to a cordless drill and hose to do this.

I abandoned making a drain pipe that actually ran through the pond liner into a well where i could let water drain via a valve... but we have pretty harsh winters and didn't want to risk the pipe freezing and then having to dig the whole thing up in the spring.

I haven't added any drain holes as of yet. I want to see how much rain it takes to file it up nicely and then add drain holes as needed. The one corner where i have the rounded rocks is the lowest spill point to take the water away during heavy rains. All the water is from my rain barrels, which i can use to fill the bog through the dryer periods.

I walked all over it to pack it down a bit, but i don't know how long it will take to settle completely. So now all i have to do is plant it up. That tower of straw is my fig tree that need protection in the winter.. in case you are wondering.

Below is the diagram and the stop motion movie for entertainment. My wife got me the "PLANTCAM" stop motion camera for the b-day... which threads all the still images into a movie.. fun little toy to have! It makes it look easy, but i made this bog over a 4 day time frame... and my back hurts!

[Myles]

thanks so much fr sharing!!!! I too, just made my first bog garden and posted it on here. If only it went as quickly as in the video

I heard that it shouldn't be stepped on as it may overcompact it but I am by no means an expert.

Have you ordered plants yet?

[nevermore44]

I could have packed it much more then i did... anywhere that i would step, i would start sinking a bit.. so it was more of a quick dance while bracing myself against the fence

I have a punch of plant that i have been growing for years in an half barrel...and i got a bunch more recently.. so i should be ready...

[Myles]

oh okay, I was imagining you tamping it down with your feet.

whereabouts are you located? Im up in Massachusetts so i had to cover all the planted Rhizomes in pine needs as frost threat isn't over until early to mid May.

PS so cool bout the Fig tree. Thought u might have some animals that you were feeding hay to that way

[nevermore44]

Down in ohio... so i will do the mulching for this next winter... might pull and refrigerate the more important varieties. Have you checked you plants to see how they did over the winter?

i am in the burbs... so no farm animals... though in one frame of the movie... you can see the peacock that ventures into our yard from the old horse farm outside the subdivision.

[Myles]

Well I planted the garden quite recently so plants werent in ground over the winter. Just gotta put up with a cpl chilly months before they wake up.

Thats funny that you have an adventurous peacock roaming the naighborhood. Who needs a zoo when you have a peacock in your yard?

My thread is a couple below yours in the bog garden section if you care to check it out. I didn't put a resevoir in but I have a big drum that Ill keep rainwater in and water the bog as needed.

[nevermore44]

Summer Shot

Late Fall Shot- I removed a selection of plants that i will overwinter in the garage this winter. Depending on how the rest overwinter, i will plant to keep them all in next year.

I built a PVC frame and mesh "lid" and covered with a ton of straw. It has a raised peak built into the center. This will make clean up easier in the spring and hopefully reduce the chance of rot since the straw shouldn't degrade quickly and be in constant contact with the plants themselves. We will see come spring of next year!