Re: I have a questioon about creating a pseudo-bog.

[dkat]

These a low spot on the side of my house that gets a lot of standing water

> during the spring or whenever we get allot of rain but also alto of sun. > But during the rest of the year it stays pretty dry . I have a sump pump > that discharges close to there and the waste water from my washing machine > can be piped there to keep a more continuous moisture level. The sump > discharge is not a problem - I know - but the soap and bleach could at time > be a problem. Should I let these discharge above the bog and then let > nature take it course? For know I'm going with Louisiana Iris and ginger > lilies maybe some cardinal flowers and go from there any suggestions? > > Zone 7 > > Marc > >

[groovy]

You might like to switch to a biodegradeable powder (Ecover in Europe?) and let the waste water stand for a while in a barrel before discharging into your bog area. The soapy water I put on my garden does no harm, but thats just hand soap without any anti-bacterial action.

[J. Del Col]

Creating a permanent patch of stagnant water may not be a good idea if you live where West Nile virus has spread. There's no point in providing mosquitoes with more places to breed.

J. Del Col

[Beecrofter]

Greywater needs to be widely distributed to minimize damage, I believe it would be a poor choice for the bog.

[dkat]

Do a web search on "wetlands sewage treatment gray water". How much room do you have? The way I have seen natural sewage treatment work is that you run the dirtiest water into the hardiest plants and that water filters through them to the next level.

[David Ross]

Although your climate is different from Montreal, you might try contacting the Montr=E9al Botanical Garden (Jardin botanique). They have a very nice bog garden section. Their English language Web site is at . =