Bog Flora

[TeeDee]

Bog Flora

I've just cleared a bit of common land of brambles that were choking out to Willows. The area of land is unwanted , neglected and basically ( until I had a go ) an eyesore - It looks cleaner now and definitely has had a short back and sides for nasty climber plants.

Before anyone feels evangelical about the wonders of Brambles -its done , i'm ok with what I've done - there is no going back so please do save your breath - Thanks in advance.

The land is beside a small river and has a culvert going through part of it - its definitely on the constantly moist side of things.

Just wondering if there are any suggestions on what bog loving plants would benefit it ? As much as to bring some control and colour to the area as anything bushcrafty - just trying to improve the locale for the community. Thanks.

 

[slowworm]

If it was me I'd give it a year to see what grows up, you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[TeeDee]

If it was me I'd give it a year to see what grows up, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Maybe - maybe not - Brambles may return...

 

[Broch]

Before anyone feels evangelical about the wonders of Brambles -its done , i'm ok with what I've done - there is no going back so please do save your breath - Thanks in advance.

Ah, you know me so well

Flag iris, marsh marigold, purple loosestrife, meadowsweet ...

 

[Toddy]

Round here figwort (rose noble) seems to thrive in the same sort of places as the meadowsweet and flag iris. I grow all of them in my garden, but they need to be dug out fairly often as they're inclined to take over.

 

[demented dale]

watercress. introduce it. Good food source as well. If there are sheep upstream then be careful of sheep fluke

Fasciola hepatica - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[slowworm]

Maybe - maybe not - Brambles may return...

We have a lot of boggy ground and boggy plants but I don't know of much that would out compete brambles.

I'm not keen on introducing plants as you may introduce something that will out compete a rare plant. To reduce the risk you could move something from nearby, subject to the various laws.

We have large patches of yellow iris and meadowsweet. Figwort does tend to self seed itself about. There are swathes of marsh marigold on the opposite bank to ours but it is loved by deer and dies down so wouldn't stop brambles. Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage is also rampant in wet places, so is bugle (which I assume is native) and ground ivy that is useful and it flowers early and bees love it.

One think that is rampant but I wouldn't plant it is Hemlock water dropwort.

 

[GreyCat]

Bog myrtle (Myrica gale). If you're really lucky you'll manage to get some girls as well as boys (it's monoecious) and get the berries which can be rendered for candle wax.....

Alder buckthorn. (Fragula alnus) Will grow in wet ground and good habitat. (Iolo Williams is a fan, here's a link to a page with him explaining it's good points: https://celticwildflowers.co.uk/products/alder-buckthorn-frangula-alnus).

Of course alder and willow- many varieties of willow possible.

Dogwood (cornus) will do OK in wet ground (vs actual bog). Flowers in summer, berries in autumn, coloured stems in winter/spring.

Cuckoo flower.

Reeds (phragmites) and varieties of typhus- some are more/less invasive than others, choose with care.

Soft rush will typically grow anyway.

I sympathize because at the new place, I have lived with very boggy ground for 2.5 years and it in most places was only growing brambles, couch grass, docks and some soft rush. I have dug out a pond (fills from the bottom- groundwater) and putting in native plants from a local specialist nursery. I know from experience of the past 2 years that if I "wait for stuff" that all I will get is brambles, couch grass and docks. (Oh, and hogweed, which I remove quite a bit of because I'm very allergic to it, I leave it in "wilder" corners but it's removed young from places where I might be walking around.)

There's more species around the stream (a big of flag iris, purple loostrife) I suspect because the water brings seeds.

Brambles WILL return, you can only keep them in check, and that will still take effort....... DAMHIKT.....

GC

 

[Broch]

@TeeDee - You could come to our 2025 symposium which includes a presentation on managing small wetlands (but it's not until November).

 

[TeeDee]

@TeeDee - You could come to our 2025 symposium which includes a presentation on managing small wetlands (but it's not until November).

Certainly will. If invited. Thanks