THE BOG GARDEN. 



179 



care must be to root them out one and all. In doing so, be careful 

 that 12 inches or so of the margin be overhauled, as in all probability 

 there will be here roots and seeds of all these wildlings. According 

 to the nature of the boggy piece and also the depth of the water, it 

 may be necessary for cleansing the ground to cut a deep trench and 

 allow the water to pass away, as, without the moisture, the whole is 

 much more convenient for preparation, and roots are more readily 

 eradicated. The ground thoroughly cleansed at the outset, attention 

 should next be directed to the soil. This may be variable, according 

 to the variety of plants it is intended to introduce. For instance, 

 strong growing plants like the Meadow Sweets are all at home in a 

 fairly stiff and moist soil. On the other hand, Iris Kaempferi 

 Trillium, Cypripedium, Lilium pardalinum, L. superbum, and other 

 such things have a decided preference for soil of a vegetable 

 character, such as peat, leaves, and the like. These latter, again, 

 have a preference for the drier parts of the bed, while such as the 

 Calthas and Menyanthes trifoliata revel in wet mud. To meet the 

 varied degrees of moisture which the plants prefer will be quite an 

 easy matter in an artificially constructed bog by the adoption of an 

 undulating surface throughout. Slightly raised mounds are by far 

 the most convenient, and certainly the most economical, way of 

 providing for the greatest number of plants. 



The shape, of course, should be picturesque, and, unless a 

 depression of the whole exists, let this receive the next attention, 



and in such a way that the highest part will be 



Formation of bog 9 inches below the average surrounding soil. The 



garden. paths should next be dealt with, excavating these 



nearly a foot deep in the central parts and 

 gradually rising at the entrances. The soil taken from the paths 

 may, if good, be used to form the raised beds for the planting of 

 moisture-loving plants, such as are content if their roots only reach 

 water. The sides of these beds may need rough support, such as 

 rude sandstone blocks, to keep the soil in its place. These, or 

 similar things, may also form stepping-stones in the wetter parts, as 

 by this means the plants may be viewed without inconvenience. 

 Beds of various sizes will be needed in proportion to the kind of 

 plants that shall hereafter occupy them. For instance, the sloping 

 banks at the edge, which may also take the form of a slightly 

 projecting mound, would constitute excellent positions for some of 

 the hardy Bamboos. Similar opportunities may occur at intervals 



throughout the margin for planting with such 

 Lilies. things as Acanthus, Yucca, Eulalia, Astilbe 



rivularis, Spiraea Aruncus, Bocconia cordata, 

 and others of similar proportions, while the lower slopes and 



