Bog gardens can be created at the edge of pool by extending a flexible liner over a lip so that soil cannot be washed into the water. Or safer still, create a bog garden with its own separate liner, which need not be an expensive pond version, but any thick plastic, as it will not be exposed to damaging daylight.

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All you need is a shallow excavation (just deep enough to plant into) that you line with a sheet liner to prevent water draining away. Then backfill with garden soil and plant with marginals (ie plants that prefer the water's edge - see section 9) or plants which tolerate wet soil (eg dogwoods, shrubby willows, primulas, hostas, bergenias, loosestrife, water avens ). Don't worry if you puncture a bog garden liner either, it will still retain most moisture. In fact we had to puncture our liner as after some very wet weather it was becoming more of a slurry than a bog, and the soil was being washed into our adjoining pond.

For very little work, you'll have a beautifully lush display to complement your pond.