Does anyone know anything about gardening?

As per others sorry to hear that you are having health issues and I hope you recover.

I am not a fan of magnolias either. The house next door has a massive one which they never prune, in fact our whole estate seems to have been created with a magnolia bush planted in 75% of front or rear gardens and 95% of these are now out of hand.

Sorry to hear that :(

Best wishes for the recovery.

I like magnolia but you really need the space for one as they will get huge.

So i didn't get one.

I love magnolia. Walking round the Brooklyn botanical gardens when they were all out was a real highlight at that time of year.

@Colin_the_Bald - shit time of year for it to have happened, fingers crossed it's recoverable. Wishing you the best.

@Colin_the_Bald. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

A few magnolias in our garden, a big one with large flowers that is just about to get into full bloom. Lifts the soul a bit this time of year.

And a couple is small stellate ones that flower later but look cute.

.

The muscari bulbs that I planted in Autumn have come up and I reckon look great. 2 different types called Mountain Lady (blue to white) and Heavenly Blue (blue with a nice white tip) that I saw at Hampton Court last year. Just the tulips to come now.
Have also been doing some hard landscaping ahead of a move to a new Asguard 7'x7'shed.
Current sheds being removed and all paving sent to be recycled at the Bromley dump. Up to 3.5 tonnes so far and just over half way I reckon . At £200 per tonne to dispose of stuff, it's getting quite expensive. It's amazing what can hide under the surface. Dug some more of the unused path up as well and dug the entire contents of the hotbin in.

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Huh. The muscari I have is full of limp skinny leaves. Not nearly as attractive as yours. Although I like the flowers fine enough.

I thought I remembered someone mentioning buying a load of pond plants and baskets from the same website - anyone here?

These people?

https://www.puddleplants.co.uk/wildlife-pond-bog-garden-collections/

They look good thanks!

^^ I've just been looking on here too, as I'm keen to get some native plants to attract which attract wildlife.

One thing I've struggled to find is and online content for bog gardens in heavy clay soil gardens. Which seems odd in this country. It's all people with well drained gardens putting in punctured pond liners.

In case it's helpful here's an awfully formated note I have saved

Edit Link to the page might be easier: https://www.edenproject.com/learn/eden-at-home/how-to-make-a-bog-garden

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How to make a bog garden
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Eden at home
Ever thought how to make a bog garden, or what to plant near a pond? Wondering what to do with that damp patch in your garden?

These bog garden plant ideas from our expert gardener Emma Pearce will help you plan a beautiful display of damp-loving plants. What’s more, bog gardens are also brilliant for wildlife, offering shelter to a range of animals.

Tips for how to make a bog garden
Spring is the best time to start a bog garden, so that the plants have plenty of time to establish once the soil warms up.

Start small if you’re new to bog gardens, or use an existing boggy area. You can always expand it!
The soil needs to be reliably moist all year round. If your soil is well drained, use a liner with a few holes in it to reduce drainage underneath your chosen spot. Although bog garden plants require plenty of moisture, they don’t like to sit in stagnant water.
Sun or shade are also important: hostas and some ferns like moist soils in full or part shade, while other plants can only tolerate damp conditions if they are in full sun.
Think about structure and winter interest – some shrubs and evergreens tolerate wetter conditions, such as Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’, Leucothoe and winterberry (Ilex verticillata).
Some plants are invasive in the right conditions. Don’t plant giant rhubarb (Gunnera manicata or Gunnera tinctoria), skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) or giant butterbur (Petasites japonicus) in bog gardens or near ponds and streams.

10 best bog garden plants
A close up of a primula flower

1. Primulas
   There are any number of beautiful primula species that are adapted to damp soils: of the candelabra types, Primula bulleyana has burnt orange flowers that fade to yellow as they age;
   
   

Primula prolifera carries its whorls of lemon-yellow blooms on tall stems and Primula beesiana has purple-red flowers. Many other primulas like their roots in reliably moist soil: P. japonica comes in a range of colours and likes a water’s-edge spot; Primula florindae (also known as the giant cowslip) enjoys dappled shade, where its delicate, pale yellow flowers move gently in even the slightest breeze.

The zingy pink of Primula pulverulenta draws the eye through the garden, while the lesser-known Primula wilsonii var. anisodora will delight with its claret-coloured drooping flowers. All are fully hardy throughout the UK. Once you start growing primulas, you’ll quickly become addicted!

1. Ornamental rhubarb
   
2. Ornamental rhubarb
   Rheum palmatum
   
   

Towering flower spikes, foamy panicles of creamy white or pink flowers, large and lush dark red leaves that turn dark green as they mature: what’s not to like about ornamental rhubarb?

A statement plant requiring a fair bit of space, this seemingly tropical plant is extremely hardy, tolerating temperatures as low as -20C!

It doesn’t like to dry out, so plant it at the edge of a pond or stream. Notable cultivars include ‘Atrosanguineum’ and ‘Hadspen Crimson’. H2-3m; S1.5-2m.

1. Marsh marigold
   Caltha palustris
   
   

Marsh marigold or kingcup is a bog garden favourite for its bright yellow flowers, which start blooming in early spring and sometimes go on well into winter.

It’s reliable, self-seeds (though not invasively) and brings a welcome pop of colour when the rest of the bog garden is still dormant. A bonus is that it’s a UK native (it even gets mentioned in Shakespeare!), beloved of bees and other beneficial insects.

Here at Eden we have a double form, ‘Plena’, and a white-flowered cultivar, ‘Alba’. H40cm; S30cm.

1. Darmera peltata
   Everything about this plant is weird, from its tall flower stems that come up long before the plate-sized leaves, to its fleshy, creeping rhizomes that sit on the soil surface, bearing a close resemblance to alligator skin.
   
   

It’s in the Saxifrage family, which will come as a surprise to anyone familiar with its usually diminutive alpine relatives, as Darmera peltata can reach 1.5m in height. It does gradually spread, but is easily kept in check by chopping the rhizome off with a sharp spade.

Take care weeding underneath it after the rain – the large leaves have a dip that holds quite a bit of water – as you’ll find out when they tip it all over you!

1. Snake's head fritillary
   Fritillaria meleagris
   
   

Named for the shape of its flowers just before they open in March and April, this beautiful and unmistakable spring favourite is one of only a few bulbs to really enjoy damp conditions.

The blue-grey foliage emerges before the flower heads, which start off slumped on the ground before rising a foot or more above the soil.

Most of the flowers are purple and mauve, with a distinctive chequerboard pattern, but occasional snow-white flowers pop up to contrast with the purple. Admire them with the sun behind them to fully appreciate their lovely markings. When happy, they self-seed freely; the bulbs also bulk up into large clumps over several years.

A close up of iris flowers with Eden biomes in the background

1. Moisture-loving iris
   If you’d like some iris for your bog garden (and who wouldn’t??), be aware that there are three types of moisture-loving iris:
   
   

those that like reliably moist but not waterlogged soil (such as Iris ensata or I. sibirica)

those that like the shallow water at the edge of a pond or stream (such as I. x robusta or I. fulva)

and those that like to have waterlogged roots either at the edge or in the middle of a pond or stream (such as I. laevigata, I. pseudacorus or I. versicolor).

Each species has many beautiful cultivars available, so your biggest difficulty will be which ones to choose! Favourites for the bog garden at Eden include I. ensata ‘Rose Queen’ and I. sibirica ‘Tropic Night’.

More

1. Astilbes
   Plumes, spires, sprays – however you describe the flower heads of these stunning bog garden perennials, they are a must-have. Colours run from deep claret reds through breathy pinks and mauves to sparkling whites. Some are tall, others dwarf, while the fern-like foliage ranges from fresh green to burnished bronze.
   
   

They keep themselves to themselves, slowly forming clumps that are easily divided. Their only requirement is a sunny spot in moisture-retentive soil, for which they will reward you with extensive flowering during the summer and persistent seedheads for autumn and winter interest.

For a taller display, choose ‘Red Sentinel’, whose dark red plumes can reach 1m. ‘Bronce Elegans’ is a smaller (to 30cm), white-flowered cultivar whose leaves are bronze when they first emerge.

1. Plantain lily
   Hosta sp.
   
   

Many people are wary of hostas because of their reputation as slug food, but their lush foliage adds such wonderful colour and texture to the bog garden that it’s worth the odd sacrifice.

Some cultivars are more resistant to slug attack, such as the dark, glossy-leaved Hosta ‘Devon Green’ (which also lends a tropical look), H. sieboldii ‘Elegans’, with corrugated, grey-blue leaves, and the cream-edged H. ‘Sleeping Beauty’, which is one of the few variegated hostas less palatable to slugs. All of these prefer damp soil in partial or full shade.

1. Ligularia przewalskii
   Dramatic yellow flower spikes, deeply toothed dark green leaves and an Award of Garden Merit to boot: Ligularia przewalskii is a prime choice for brightening a shady area at the back of your bog garden.
   
   

It will also grow in partial shade as long as it never dries out. Originally from northern China, it likes plenty of organic matter so give it a good mulch over the winter and it will reward you with a firecracker display from mid to late summer.

1. Globeflower
   Trollius sp.
   
   

Its lovely bowl-shaped flowers in shades of yellow and orange may look delicate, but in reality the globeflower is a sturdy plant for dependably damp soil.

Some 30 species grow around the world, but those most commonly grown in gardens are cultivars of Trollius europaeus, Trollius x cultorum and Trollius pumilus.

Best in sun or partial shade, they gradually seed themselves around when happy. Orange-flowered Trollius ‘Dancing Flame’ has long sepals that point straight up like flames, hence its name. ‘Golden Queen’ is similar but more yellow in colour.

Trollius pumilus has flat yellow flowers, while Trollius x cultorum ‘Alabaster’ has beautiful pale yellow blooms.

Photo credits and credit to the writer
'How to make a bog garden' written by Emma Pearce, Horticultural Scientist (Conservation) at the Eden Project

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Thanks :D

I’m looking for some perennials I can plant in a shady bed that will be flowering in the not to distant future.

Preferably blousy and pink. I’ve got dahlias already.

Gardeners world is also good for ideas on this as half of Monty's garden floods every winter, and in particular his 'damp garden' is a permanent bog

Perennials, shady, flowering, Preferably blousy and pink

Astilbe?

Or Astrantia?

For me, dahlias will grow in shade but not flower much at all

They’re going here. The conifer takes all the sun.

They will get it in the afternoon though

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Monarda also perennial, pink and happy in part shade

Tail end of the period you're after, but I have some king alfred daffodils that are still going.

Also if someone can I'd these, they're under some trees in woodland I'm walking in, so can imagine they'd work too.

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Are the white ones wood anemone?

Top: 'a' celandine.
Lower: wood anemone?

Hellebore are not blousy but come in pink. Pulmonaria also not blousy but come in pink and both are evergreen.

Hosta usually flower purple maybe there are pink flowering ones now?

Celandine and anemone go well with wild garlic and bluebells if you want the full wood undergrowth. I got them all growing in the "forest corner".

Isn't the brief for blousy flowers?

When do hydrangeas come out? What about a old lady one of those?