52 



IRISH GARDENING 



The Bog Garden. 



By J. W. Besaxt. 

 From early spring till late autumn one of the 

 most beautiful and interesting parts of the hardy 

 flower garden is that in which are cultivated. 

 those plants which flourish best under cooler and 

 moister conditions than usually obtain in the 

 herbaceous border or rockery. 



No hard and fast rules can be laid down 

 regarding the choice of position for a bog garden, 

 though proximity to a pond, lak« or streamlet 

 is an advantage in providing a ready supply of 

 moisture. Frequently hollows and glades exist 

 w h i c h are 

 always natu- 

 rally moist. 

 and these, 

 without much 

 trouble, may 

 be made into 

 beautiful gar- 

 dens by simply 

 clearing out 

 rubbish a n d 

 bringing in a 

 few loads of 



peat for such 

 plants as re- 

 quire it. In 

 connect ion 

 with the rock 

 garden small 

 bogs are very 

 often an 

 attractive fea- 

 ture, provid- 

 ing a congenial 

 home for many 

 plants which 

 belong to high mountains, and are nearly always 

 bathed in mist, their roots growing l>ct\veen 

 rocks, which are always wet in summer and dry 

 in winter when covered with snow. 



Where a bog is contemplated away from a 

 ready supply of water, it is necessary to use peat 

 at least eighteen inches deep in its construction, 

 as the peat when once thoroughly wet will 

 remain so for a long time. Some loam, leaf-soil 

 and coarse sand may be mixed with the peat. 

 Such a compost will remain moist enough with 

 rain and an occasional watering dining a pro 

 longed drought to grow such charming plants 

 as the Cypripediums, Forget-me-Nots. Alpine 

 Ranunculuses, small Gentians, [Yimnla rosea, 

 P. denticulata, P. minima, Dodecatheons, 

 Anemones of various kinds. Orchis latifolia, and 

 many other hardy Orchids and dwarf moisture 

 loving plants. 



For a bog garden of larger dimensions formed 



I'la.MI'I.AS AND Dgdecatheon 

 iii Mr. Walpole's Garden 



near water there is a host of strong-growing 

 handsome subjects of which some idea may be 

 gleaned from the illustration on the opposite page. 

 In this case the use of peat in such large pro- 

 portion is not so necessary, since the proximity 

 of the water will ensure the essential moist 

 condition at all times during the growing season. 

 Formality in marking out the boundary should 

 be avoided. A glance at any natural stream or 

 lake will show many examples of natural curves, 

 which we may imitate as near as possible in 

 setting out an artificial bog garden by water. 

 Whether or not the existing soil will have to be 

 removed depends entirely on its quality. If. as 



in the case of 

 the bog illus- 

 trated, it con- 

 sists of dense 

 clay, some of 

 it will have to 

 be got rid of 

 and replaced 

 I) y a m or e 

 f r i a b 1 e me- 

 dium through 

 which t h e 

 roots can work 

 their way in 

 search of food 

 material. To 

 get the best 

 results from 

 strong rooting 

 ]> 1 a n t s like 

 Spiraeas, Astil- 

 bes, Senecios, 

 Trolliuse.s. the 

 beardless 

 Irises, herba- 

 ceous L o b e - 

 lias, &c, plenty of cow manure should lie 

 incorporated as the work proceeds. It is well 

 to arrange matters so that some portions 

 of the bog will be drier than others. Should 

 the position be one that slopes down to the 

 water's edge this is easy. bu1 if the ground is 

 flat mounds may be raised here and there to 

 accommodate plants which require drier condi- 

 tions, especially in winter. Also the compost 

 may be varied, using peaty soil in the higher 

 parts to retain moisture during summer and to 

 provide for such plants as recent too rich eondi 

 tions. Some of the smaller bog plants prefer a 

 damp sandy soil, and these may be planted 

 towards the boundary furthest from the water. 

 If the bog is of considerable size it is very 

 important to provide stepping stones to enable 

 workmen to get about among the plants, and the 

 owner will frequent ly w an1 to examine some plant 

 more closely than would otherwise be possible. 



&c 



