Wondering if there are any perennial bog plants with this effect......

[JenH]

Hi everyone! Does anyone know of a Flowering bog plant that I can fill my bog with on my new raised pond build that would give the look like an annual plantar filled with petunias or impatiens? A vine maybe? Only thing I can really think of would maybe be water forget-me-nots but I’m still not sure those are full enough to give the same look?
do forget-me-nots filter well enough to be the only plant in the bog?

 

[addy1]

I love my water willow, nice purple flowers most of the summer, these are some of mine in a tiny bog filter for my hot tub pond

 

[Lisak1]

I can't think of a specific plant that would meet your requirement, but consider this from a gardening perspective - the reason why we use annuals in the garden is because they flower the whole season. Perennials - generally, there are a few exceptions - only flower for a short period of the spring, summer or fall.

Forget-me-nots are just one such exception - they will flower prolifically from spring til fall. They will get very full, but the flowers aren't big and showy like petunias. They do a great job filtering though and if you wanted only one plant in your bog, they would work.

Did you know you CAN plant impatiens in water? They prefer more of the marginal edges - not fully in the water, but wet feet are fine. So you could add a few to the edges of your bog to give you some all season color and then plant one or two other things in the middle to give you that planter look.

Share a few pictures of your bog so we can see what you're working with!

Here's a few photos for an idea of how these work in water. This is my pondless water fall with forget-me-nots. I took this one because I rarely get flowers on my floating hyacinths - so don't be distracted by that lovely flower! The forget-me-nots are in front of the leaping frogs!

And here's impatiens growing in my waterfall - these are planted where they are wet all the time - they do AMAZING:

 

[JenH]

Thanks for the ideas ladies!!! It’s under construction right now but here is an inspirational pic and then my current stage. Hoping to be finished and adding plants by July 4th weekend

My bog will be much wider than the inspirational photo. Approx, 1/3 the surface area of my pond, with 2 spillways.

 

[Lisak1]

Ah! Very nice! That "inspiration photo" has tomatoes growing in the bog - another great idea!

 

[JenH]

I can't think of a specific plant that would meet your requirement, but consider this from a gardening perspective - the reason why we use annuals in the garden is because they flower the whole season. Perennials - generally, there are a few exceptions - only flower for a short period of the spring, summer or fall.

Forget-me-nots are just one such exception - they will flower prolifically from spring til fall. They will get very full, but the flowers aren't big and showy like petunias. They do a great job filtering though and if you wanted only one plant in your bog, they would work.

Did you know you CAN plant impatiens in water? They prefer more of the marginal edges - not fully in the water, but wet feet are fine. So you could add a few to the edges of your bog to give you some all season color and then plant one or two other things in the middle to give you that planter look.

Share a few pictures of your bog so we can see what you're working with!

Here's a few photos for an idea of how these work in water. This is my pondless water fall with forget-me-nots. I took this one because I rarely get flowers on my floating hyacinths - so don't be distracted by that lovely flower! The forget-me-nots are in front of the leaping frogs!

View attachment 130636


And here's impatiens growing in my waterfall - these are planted where they are wet all the time - they do AMAZING:

View attachment 130637

Your impatiens on the waterfall are gorgeous! In my bog would those do much as far as filtering or just nice for aesthetics?

 

[Lisak1]

Anything that grows in the water helps with biological filtration. I've also found bog plants help with filtering sediment as the attract the fine particles to their roots. Some plants will form actual root balls with dirt if they get big enough. Watercress and forget-me-nots form heavy, dense root "mats" that are very effective filters.

 

[seandelevan]

I concur with Lisak1...my forget me not has taken over my entire bog area......I usually need to rip large clumps out to keep it under control. Grows very thick...great for filtration.

 

[Lisak1]

Once it gets going, you'll always have it! It will creep out into the landscape, too, but it's easy to pull out.

 

[rubyduby]

Once it gets going, you'll always have it! It will creep out into the landscape, too, but it's easy to pull out.

I have them planted in my stream bed (Bare robot held in place with rocks) that runs from my waterfall to the pond. Since I turn my falls off for winter and just a couple of inches Of water will remain in the stream bed, will the for get me nots die? Should I re locate them?

 

[Lisak1]

We have them in our pondless waterfall, which we do shut down over winter. No water in there at all and the forget-me-nots come back year after year.

 

[JenH]

In my old pond I used to just float them in the water.... the mats are very dense! I just never knew how they’d do in a bog.

 

[rubyduby]

We have them in our pondless waterfall, which we do shut down over winter. No water in there at all and the forget-me-nots come back year after year.

Are they planted in soil Lisak1 or are they bare root?

 

[seandelevan]

Are they planted in soil Lisak1 or are they bare root?

Mine are bareroot....in fact a month ago I ripped a clump out and stuck the clump in some rock crevices near my water fall...and boom new patch of forget me nots.

 

[rubyduby]

Mine are bareroot....in fact a month ago I ripped a clump out and stuck the clump in some rock crevices near my water fall...and boom new patch of forget me nots.

That is encouraging, thanks!