If you have a boggy waterlogged area in your garden you might think you can’t create an attractive area in the abundance of wildlife that the United Kingdom has to offer, but you’d be wrong. Now is the perfect time to start a bog garden project in that damp dreary area of your garden, especially with the lovely weather we have been blessed with this last week or so.

Below is Askham Bog which is near to us here in beautiful York at Bradshaws Direct, it is currently under threat of development for up to 500 homes. These bogs create a haven for wildlife and we all need to do more to protect our beautiful and peaceful nature reserves. This 120 acre site was left behind almost 15,000 years ago by a retreating glacier and has been described as a ‘hidden jewel’ for the community that reside in or enjoy the area.

The bog had a very famous visitor recently too, Sir David Attenborough, who described the nature reserve as ‘irreplaceable’. If building was to go ahead the oldest living thing existing in York, the Royal Ferns, would be removed along with Marsh Orchids and the rare Gingerbread Sedge.

You can help with any garden

I believe that the next big trend in garden design is going to be wildlife It may have shown in some of my recent blogs that I believe it to be of vital importance too. Bog gardens are suitable for large or smaller areas where you would usually put a pond liner in to help retain a certain amount of water, before you put it in you would poke some holes into it to allow for drainage. With larger gardens the process is exactly the same but be sure to add some form of stepping stones to gain access for maintenance or you’ll look pretty silly stuck in the middle of your bog shouting for help!

How to make a Bog garden

Find your chosen area and mark this out with string or sand

You’ll want to dig roughly around 18 inches down.

Line your bog garden with a suitable Underlay, for stoney ground use our brilliant Polyfibrelay Underlay.

Now you will want to put down your waterproof membrane, we have a range of different Pond Liners to suit all budgets.

Hold the liner in place with something heavy, bricks are probably best.

Now pierce the liner at 0.75m intervals, a garden rake or fork should work well for this.

Lay an old piece of hose pipe in the bottom that you have stabbed holes in every 0.5cms, this should be sealed at one end and a connector fitted at the other. This is to supply water for irrigation.

Now cover the hose with gravel to prevent it from clogging with soil.

Next, shovel the soil you originally dug out back into the hole. I’d add some manure or leaf mould at this point too (remember to take out any roots and stones now as well).

You’re now ready to have a look at our huge Range of Plants, place an order then sit back and relax!