To many, a waterlogged area of a property is an inconvenience or eyesore. In most cases, poor draining soil in small areas can be corrected by amending the soil or other economical means.

But what can a homeowner do with larger soggy areas?  Creating a bog garden can turn this underutilized space into a beautiful garden and a much-needed sanctuary for certain types of wildlife and beneficial insects, including frogs, newts, butterflies and dragonflies.

When creating a bog garden, keep in mind that the area should not have free-standing water. Most bog plants can handle moist conditions, but will not survive for a prolonged period in standing water.

If you do not have a saturated area for your proposed garden, you can create one artificially (digging deep 15-20 inches) by utilizing a perforated pond liner, add gravel on top of the liner for drainage, then bury a soaker hose in the soil to keep it consistently moist.

Here are a few plants that prefer moist soil to consider for your bog garden:

Common Name:                Botanical Name:                    Hardiness Zones:

Bottlebrush Sedge              Carex comosa                           3-8

Buttonbush                          Cephalanthus occidentalis    4-8

Canna Lily                           Cannas                                   8-10

Cardinal Flower                  Lobelia cardinalis                 4-9

Common Arrowhead         Sagittaria latifolia                 3-9

Dwarf Bullrush                   Typha minima                        3-10

Elephant Ears                      Colocasia                                 10-11

Great Blue Lobelia              Lobelia siphilitica                  3-9

Jack In The Pulpit                Arisaema triphyllum             3-9

Joe Pye Weed                        Eutrochium purpureum       3-8

Ligularia (Variegated)        Farfugium japonicum           7-10

Marsh Marigold                   Caltha palustris                        2-7

Northern Blue Flag Iris      Iris versicolor                          3-9

Prairie Blazing Star             Liatris pycnostachya               3-9

Swamp Milkweed                Asclepias incarnata                 3-9

Sweetspire                             Itea virginica                             5-9

White Turtlehead                 Chelone glabra                          3-8