A bog is a soft area where the soil is waterlogged.  Typically located near ponds and lakes, bogs are chock full of nutrients and organic matter because the slow moving water cannot whisk away dead plant matter.  Intriguing plants are found in boggy areas, attracting wildlife such as hummingbirds, dragonflies, butterflies, frogs, and turtles.  Bog gardens can be a beautiful addition to your yard, whether you choose to create one next to a pond, or choose to build one to function independently of another water source.  

Bog plants love nutrient rich soil packed with organic matter, whereas pond plants need little nutrients and don’t care for organic matter.  Thus, a bog garden becomes a unique entity regardless of where you choose to place it.

Plants that thrive in a bog garden include arrowhead, dwarf bamboo, dwarf cattail, iris, lizard’s tail, marsh marigold, pickerel rush, bog orchids, lobelia, dwarf variegated sweet flag, aquatic mint, dwarf clover, and more.  If you want to have unusual plants in your yard, a bog garden may be just for you.  It’s easy to create and even easier to maintain.  Go to How to Build a Bog Garden for instructions on how to create a bog garden.