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I must disagree with Dendy, I find that they are positively easy and virtually maintenance free if you follow a couple of easy rules. Use only rain or distilled water. Our well water is very hard and not a good choice in Northeast Ohio. I have a rain gutter that flows into a rain barrel and overflows into the bog garden. I plant companion plants in the bog to help keep the garden looking natural and it reduces weeding which I only do when I know for sure a plant is a weed (you can get some great spontaneous plants in a peat bog!) I have 8 species and hybrids of Sarracenia, 3 species of Drosera, Venus fly traps, as far as orchids I have 2 Species of Platanthera, Calopogon, and Spiranthes. All of these plants have been in since the bog garden was put together in 1997 (and moved with me in 2000)without any special treatment (other than the rainwater) and no winter protection except whatever blanket of snow we get.

May I add that a bog garden is not one where the plants have their root permanently in water - that would be the situation for maginal pond plants. If you have the time,money and energy my suggestion is to create a bog garden as described below. It is part reply to a message on my board. -------------------------------------------------------- Even a bog garden should not have stagnant soil water therefore perforate the plastic liner so there is a constant if slow percolation to the substrata. If you are not incorporating a perforated pipe to apply water just back fill with fertile garden soil well charged with rotted organic matter. Where you are including a water pipe (that is simply a single pipe with the end blocked and holes along its length laid across the diameter of the excavation) lay it on a bed of gravel with more gravel over it. This will prevent the holes from becoming blocked and will aid drainage to the perforated liner. The osmotic action of the soil will bring water upwards and keep it wet enough for the plants. Viz. the pipe will have an upstand opposite the blocked end which extends through the gravel layer and the backfill soil to the surface where a connection is made for the hosepipe. When water is applied it will fill the gravel layer and when it reaches the soil it will percolate to the plant roots. Only usage will determine how long and at what intervals you leave the water running for. Regarding depth of planting soil I would aim for a minimum of 18" (45cm) and it should be free draining but moisture retentive - add plenty of organic matter. ------------------------------------------------- My Website

I don't think that rain lilies would do well in a bog. Some plants that would do well are louisiana iris, blue flag iris (native but it gets pretty tall), lizards tail (Saururus cernuus, native), native yellow canna (Canna flaccida), pickeral, and native swamp crinums (Crinum americanum). I've grown everything that I listed and have had good luck with them. One plant that I haven't tried growing yet but love the look of is Cardinal Flower - Lobelia cardinalis. Kara