As the stream enters the Lake, some of the water is channelled off to form a Bog Garden, a shallow inlet only a few centimetres in depth. Here the damp conditions allow us to grow a range of moisture-loving plants. Dense clumps of the bamboo, Phyllostachys, guard the entrance to the Bog Garden, and beyond this the Swamp Cypress, Taxodium distichum, stands sentinel in the water. Surrounded by steeply shelving terraced banks on three sides, the Bog Garden provides a sheltered, semi-shaded, microclimate hidden away in the centre of the peninsula jutting into the Lake.
The Bog Garden
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In spring, early flowerers such as Primula florindae, Primula wilsonii and Iris sibirica ‘Tycoon’ provide a welcome splash of colour. These are followed by other herbaceous perennials such as Ligularia japonica, Euphorbia griffithii, Lathyrus palustris and the sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis, all of which thrive in the additional moisture. A mature specimen of the rare native fern Osmunda regalis forms an imposing clump at the water’s edge, and an unusual shrub, Itea ilicifolia, makes a great late summer show when the handsome holly-like leaves contrast with the long, drooping racemes of greenish-white flowers.
Primula wilsonii
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