Bog or moist gardens can be natural - up a stream or lake edge. Or they are formed in a specially prepared lined area designed to maintain a certain level of dampness.
Create wet and waterlogged or moist and damp conditions by changing how much drainage you give your prepared area. See our Tips and Advice page: How to create a bog garden for more detail.
Waterlogged bog soil or moist soil planting areas will require different plants to suit the different conditions. These should contain both flowering uprights and low growing plants with leaf spread to give a variety of habitats and protection for the wildlife in this emergence zone.
Be careful to choose the right plants for the level of 'wetness of soil' in your prepared area. Moist plants will not survive in waterlogged soil. See Planting an area for moist or muddy bog plants.
Bog gardens & moist areas are an additional habitat for your pond wildlife. Growing plants around the water area will encourage the wildlife to venture in and out of the water. The plant growth will give them protection from birds and other predators and shade from the midday sun.
Natural water areas vary in their 'wetness' so will suit any size garden whether you have a small pond or a swimming pond.
The planting in this surrounding zone enables wildlife to enter & leave the pond safely. It also sits the water into the surrounding landscape too.
Many moist-loving plants are also 'Perfect for Pollinators' so by growing these in your garden you will increase the plants available for airborne pollinating insects.
For more help in choosing the right plants for your moisture retentive area please download our new ebook. 'How to plant garden areas that hold moisture'