Bog garden in preformed pond liner?

pigletpug2000

18 years ago

I have an everdry system in my home which dumps water out into the middle of my front yard, which remains marshy all spring, and well into the summer. I have a (now spare) 65 gallon preformed pond liner that I was thinking of putting out just below the outlet of the pipe so that it poured into and created a bog area. I read that I don't have to create drain holes in the liner, the area is generally sunny. Does this sound feasable? I know there are sarracenia purpurea growing wild in pond/marsh situations in my area. Any other ideas of what to grow, and what type of soil would be best? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

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Katherine Akers

last year

I have just planted a bog garden for my carnivorous plants, I was successful last year with a small container and wanted to extend it. I did drill some holes in the side. I am so worried that it is not going to be wet enough. Time will tell, I always say it is an experiment. We will see how it works out.

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Comments (6)

kwoods
18 years ago
Not familiar w/ "everdry". As long as the water quality is good don't see why it wouldn't work. Is the water temp cool? If so there are some interesting things you could try, if you're brave.

65 gallons is big. I would fill the bottom w/ inert material to about 18" to 20" from the top, then you want to use a 50/50 mix of peat and sand, NO SOIL. Bogs are nutrient poor acidic enviornments.

This would be a typical pitcher plant, flytrap, sundew type bog. Lots of things can be grown in this ecosystem including native orchids etc. I'm sure others will fill you in.
yarthkin
18 years ago
You may not need holes per se but you do need to accomodate drainage somehow. I do it with a gentle slope instead of cutting holes, but either way you need to make sure water doesn't permanantly saturate your bog.

Secondly, you'll nee to accomodate for there being lots of water hitting the bog during storms. I'd suggest finding a way to fan out the water to decrease velocity and/or run it through inert* gravel before hitting the bog. Otherwise your soil may wash away in a big storm.

*aka not marble chips, limestone, etc.
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I had missed your reply before I finished (was rushing to get most of it done by fall. Wish I would have seen it and rethought the liner. I found I was losing a lot more water than I thought I would back into the surrounding soil. I had thought having the sides unlined would aid in water feeding out of the surrounding soil, which it probably will if we have a heavy rain, but it's going to happen in reverse when things are dry. The gravel is there since I want run off water to feed through the gravel and bog like a filter before feeding into the pond. Sort of a psuedo bog filter like people often use for ponds. Since the area is small and not planted yet. I might be able to still add some rearranging and either add liner along the edges or try to line the whole thing.
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sarraceniahunter
18 years ago
I build all of my bog gardens in preformed liners. I drill a few holes in the liner about halfway up the side and plant away. I have several types of Sarracenia, Drosera, and VFTs growing there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Backyard Bogs (The Natural Alternative)
slreagan55
last year
Hi, I know this thread is 16 years old, so hoping someone is still active here. I am wanting to do a small bog garden using a preformed liner, that is how I found this thread. If anyone has any more advice/suggestions other than what sarraceniahunter said, would greatly appreciate it! Thanks
dirt_tracker Alabama Zone 8A
7 months ago
Katherine, how did your bog do during the summer?

Bog garden in preformed pond liner?

Katherine Akers

Comments (6)

kwoods

yarthkin

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sarraceniahunter

slreagan55

dirt_tracker Alabama Zone 8A

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