Once the hole is lined, fill the bottom with about 6 inches (15 cm) of perlite topped with 2 inches (5 cm) of sphagnum moss peat, which should act like a wick and draw the water up from the reservoir (perlite) base. The remainder of the hole is filled with a mixture of sphagnum moss peat, perlite and silver sand - a common ratio is 3:1:1. There should be a run-off area to one side of the bog to allow excess water to escape. It is also advisable to make small hills and dips in the surface of the bog.  This will give a larger planting area and also some wetter and drier areas for different CPs.

What your bog garden could look like!

It is not necessary to have big garden in order to make a CP bog, a big pot or patio planter can work just as well. Ensure that the container is watertight and use the same soil mixture as above. If the pot is likely to become waterlogged, some holes can be drilled into the side, about half an inch (1 cm) from the soil’s surface. Even in the wild, bogs have areas that act like overflows in wetter times, so plants are not under water for too long. If there is a particularly cold winter, then the pots can be moved into a greenhouse or shed for protection.

Another example of a bog garden

The pots can be filled with plants, which are typically found growing together in the wild. This type of collective planting can be very effective and can also be applied to plants grown in the greenhouse: for example Cephalotus, Drosera hamtonii and Drosera pulchella all grow together in the wild.
 
Drawings © Alan Haines