Irrigating a bog garden

[paddy]

I can't remember where i heard this idea, but i set it up last year and it worked like a dream -
I raised a downpipe-fed water butt up quite high on old slabs, and put an overflow valve at the top of the butt, to which was connected a long length of flexible tubing. Making sure this had a gradual fall on it, and strapping it at points to trellis/fencing, it led down to the bog area. Just before soil level, i used a jubilee clip to connect it to a length of old hose, which was dug down into the soil in a descending loose circle. The hose had a wine cork in the end of it, and several small slices placed along its length to allow seepage.
The soil in the bog remained considerably damper than the surrounding borders throughout the year and the plants did really well for a first year - particularly hemp agrimony, which i think is one of the finest butterfly/bee plants.
In dry spells, it needs supplementing with watering, but in the main has looked after itself! Much better than a pond overflow, which needs one side to be lower than others, leading to exposed liner at all other points.
I wondered if anyone else had come up with other systems?

[Susie]

What an ingenious idea.

When I dug my pond in the spring I dug out a second area next to it which I lined with some excess butyl liner and then back filled with soil. This has stayed sufficiently boggy over the summer for the plants to thrive too, but then we did have an exceptionally damp summer.

In the event of a hot, dry, summer I am sure my bog garden would dry out whereas your one wouldn't so next year I will redesign my bog garden to incorporate your excellent idea. Thanks.

[paddy]

A pleasure! I wondered if you had made puncture holes in the butyl before laying it with the soil - sometimes the water can get quite stagnant in the base of the bog if you don't. If you're having a re-dig, it might be an idea if you haven't...... Also, when you connect the tube to the valve at the butt, just use a push-on tube, cos it occasionally will get a leaf or moss from the gutter blocking it. It's a quick job to clear this.