If you have a sloping and wet yard, don’t despair! With a little creativity and planning, you can turn it into a beautiful and functional outdoor space.

Transforming the Landscape

Paddy and Ben Parmee did just that with their Hampshire property. They started by removing the grass and installing raised beds to grow fruit and vegetables. They also built a pond and a stream, which created a natural drainage system and added moisture to the air.

Designing the Garden

The Parmees divided their garden into different zones, each with its own unique character. They created a bog garden at the bottom of the slope, where water-loving plants like irises and carnivorous sarracenia thrive.

On the sunny side of the slope, they built terraces and planted alpine plants, which are adapted to growing in rocky and mountainous environments. They also created a woodland garden with shade-loving plants like ferns and wildflowers.

Overcoming Challenges

One of the biggest challenges the Parmees faced was managing water. They installed boardwalks in the wettest areas to provide access to the pond and bog garden. They also dug a sump and installed a pump to automatically remove excess water during heavy rains.

Attracting Wildlife

The Parmees are passionate about wildlife, so they garden organically and provide plenty of food and shelter for birds and other animals. They have a pond that attracts frogs, dragonflies, and other aquatic creatures. They also have nesting boxes for birds and a hedgehog hibernation spot.

Sharing the Joy

The Parmees love sharing their garden with others. They open it to the public for tours and events. They believe that gardens should be places of beauty, inspiration, and joy for everyone.

Tips for Creating Your Own Dream Garden:

• Use raised beds to grow plants in wet areas.
• Create different zones in your garden, each with its own unique character.
• Plant a variety of plants that thrive in your climate and soil conditions.
• Manage water effectively to prevent flooding and erosion.
• Attract wildlife to your garden by providing food and shelter.
• Share your garden with others to bring joy and inspiration to your community.

What is a Bog Garden?

Bog gardens are beautiful, marshy gardens that mimic the natural wetlands found around ponds, lakes, and streams. They’re a great way to add interest and variety to your landscape, and they’re also a great habitat for wildlife.

Bog garden plants love wet, waterlogged soil, but not standing water. This makes them ideal for low-lying areas or spots in your yard that tend to stay wet.

How to Build a Bog Garden

Building a bog garden is a relatively easy project that can be completed in a few hours.

1. Choose a Site: Select a location that receives at least five hours of full sunlight per day. Avoid areas with standing water or poor drainage.
2. Dig a Hole: Dig a hole that is about 2 feet deep and as wide as you want your garden to be.
3. Line the Hole: Line the hole with a sheet of pond liner and press it down so that it contours with the hole. Leave at least 12 inches of liner exposed to accommodate for settling.
4. Create Drainage Holes: Poke drainage holes around the edge of the liner, one foot below the soil surface. This will help to prevent the plants from rotting.
5. Fill the Hole: Fill the hole with a mixture of 30% coarse sand and 70% peat moss, compost, and native soil.
6. Settle and Water: Allow the bog to settle for one week and keep it well watered.

Choosing Bog Garden Plants

There are many different plants that thrive in bog gardens. Some of the most popular choices include:

• Giant rhubarb: Has massive, umbrella-shaped leaves
• Giant marsh marigold: Grows up to 3 feet tall with beautiful yellow flowers
• Flag iris: Can be purple, blue, yellow, or white with tall stalks and dark green leaves
• Venus flytrap: A carnivorous plant that eats insects
• Pitcher plant: Another carnivorous plant that traps insects in its pitcher-shaped leaves
• Jack-in-the-pulpit: A woodland plant with unique flowers
• Turtlehead: A woodland plant with showy purple flowers
• Joe-pye weed: A tall, stately plant with fluffy white flowers
• Blue-eyed grass: A low-growing plant with delicate blue flowers

When choosing plants for your bog garden, be sure to select varieties that are appropriate for your growing region.

Container Bog Garden

If you don’t have a lot of space or you’re not interested in digging a hole, you can create a bog garden in a container.

1. Choose a Container: Choose a container that is wide enough to accommodate your plants and has drainage holes in the bottom.
2. Fill the Container: Fill the container 1/3 full with gravel and then add a mixture of 30% sand and 70% peat moss on top.
3. Wet the Soil: Wet the planting medium completely.
4. Plant Your Bog Plants: Place your bog plants in the container and continue to keep the soil wet.
5. Sunlight: Place your container bog garden where it will get at least five hours of daily sun.

Care and Maintenance

Bog gardens are relatively easy to care for. Here are a few tips:

• Water: Keep the soil in your bog garden consistently moist.
• Fertilize: Fertilize your bog plants once a year with a slow-release fertilizer.
• Mulch: Mulch around your bog plants to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Winterize: In cold climates, you may need to winterize your bog garden by covering it with mulch or straw.

With proper care and maintenance, your bog garden will thrive for many years to come.

Introduction

February is a busy month for gardeners, as we prepare for the growing season ahead. Here are some of the tasks that we’re getting up to in the garden this month.

Winter Pruning

One of the most important gardening tasks in February is winter pruning. This involves removing dead, diseased, or overcrowded branches from trees and shrubs. We recommend pruning apple trees while they are still dormant, to maximize the apple harvest later in the year.

Preparing Vegetable Beds

February is also a good time to prepare vegetable beds for the growing season. This involves digging over the soil, removing weeds, and adding compost or manure to improve the soil fertility. We suggest dividing snowdrops once they come to the end of their flowering period.

Starting Seeds Indoors

If you want to get a head start on the growing season, you can start sowing seeds indoors in February. We recommend chitting potatoes and sowing chilli seeds to give plants a long growing season.

Creating a Bog Garden

We are also creating a new bog garden in our garden this month. Bog gardens are a great way to grow plants that love wet, acidic soil, such as carnivorous plants, ferns, and irises.

Planting a Tree

Fastigiate trees are a great choice for small gardens, as they have a narrow, upright growth habit.

Other Gardening Tips for February

In addition to the tasks listed above, here are a few other gardening tips for February:

• Finish any winter projects before the growing season starts in earnest.
• Get bare-rooted trees in the ground while plants remain dormant.
• Start chitting potatoes and sowing chilli seeds to give plants a long growing season.
• Divide snowdrops once they come to the end of their flowering period.
• Plant a fastigiate birch in a border to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Conclusion

February is a busy month for gardeners, but it is also a rewarding one. By following these tips, you can prepare your garden for the growing season ahead and enjoy a beautiful and productive garden all year long.