We’re traveling with Cherry Ong today, going through time as well as in space to visit the bog garden at Hatley Castle. The castle is a historic site in Victoria, British Columbia, surrounded by beautiful gardens.

The areas around natural lakes and ponds are often great sites for bog gardens. And if you are building a pond, a bog area can be added for moisture-loving plants.

Japanese primrose (Primula japonica, Zones 4–9) is a classic lover of a bog garden. It needs constantly moist soil; given that, it will bloom beautifully and often seed around a little as well.

The umbrella plant (Darmera peltata, Zones 5–7) is a native of the west coast of North America and has these lovely pink flowers in the spring followed by bold, umbrella-shaped leaves that give the plant its common name.

I’m not sure what these beautiful huge leaves are. If anyone knows, please tell us in the comments!

Unlike the Japanese primroses, lovely little primroses such as this one (Primula hybrid, Zones 3–8) don’t demand bog conditions. They do, however, prefer soil that doesn’t dry out.

Oxalis oregana (Zones 7–9) is native to the Pacific Northwest. It has pretty pink or white flowers, but the silver-patterned foliage is reason enough to grow it.

It’s hard to beat the flowers of a Rhododendron.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

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