a forum for bog gardeners
I am giving a talk on bogs and bog gardens in Nov and need a few more photos of bog gardens. I have many photos of bogs which I am happy to share. Does anyone have photos of small garden bogs or container bogs that they are willing to share. You will have a credit at the bottom of the slide. Thanks.
It is many kinds of bogs, of course, from the very wet Sphagnum mires to the rich swamps with a plethora of flowering plants.
Here are a few to start with - please feel free to add your plants!
In the sphagnum moss mires you can often find find a little drier areas and there the cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) are growing in abundance. However, that don't mean you will have lots of berries to harvest! The plant is dioecious and spreads by runners so you find huge patches of clones of the same plant.
Caltha leptosepala is quite common on wet sights across western North America. The lumpers and splitters do not agree on the number of subspecies (I guess that's normal :rolleyes:).
I have noticed that I see two forms, when I come across them in the Sierras. One form displays it's narrow sepaled flowers on longer stems 12"-18" (30-45cm) the other form has some what wider sepals displayed at 6"-8"(15-20cm) in height. In all other respects they appear to be equal.
I like the shorter form better.
Kalmia microphylla is found at high elevation on seeps and fens across Western North America. My photos were taken in the Sierra Nevada Range in Alpine county, California. (there are many synonyms for this species including Kalmia microphylla ssp. occidentalis, Kalmia polifolia ssp. microphylla, and Kalmia polifolia ssp. occidentalis)
Hypericum anagalloides is a herbaceous mat forming ground cover, for a damp bog/fen sights. The dense bright green foliage is set off by golden yellow blossoms. This 1/2 inch tall gem is quite common across western North America. It's common name is "Tinker's Penny".
It is easily transplanted.
Hypericum anagalloides and Mimulus primuloides
I guess I'll put this under Bog Gardening, as the most fitting category...
Here is the progression of development of new little clones of a viviparous water lily, in this case, the tropical day-bloomer, Nymphaea 'Mme. Ganna Walska':
I am seriously considering transforming a three meter by one meter by a half-meter deep section of my front perennial bed into a bog. I would appreciate any input as well as sources for bog plants.
A few of the indigenous Drosera's I'm growing in my bog:
D. anglica
D. intermedia
D. rotundifolia
Im not sure how widespread these are in US collections. Many could be considered true alpines. They are easy to grow, takes a lot of cold and are beautiful.
Two pictures from a few years ago. Need to update my pictures from this genus :)