David Marsolo, a long time Wild Ones Columbus member, did an excellent informative presentation on how to install a bog garden, which he has maintained in a sunny portion of his yard for a number of years.
A bog garden is different than a rain garden. A rain garden can be inundated with water during part of the year, but may become dry in some months. A bog garden remains moist, lean, and acidic throughout the growing season. An impermeable liner is installed to hold water, and nutrients must be kept out. That means no compost, mulch, fertilizer are ever added, and earthworms are kept out. Even using tap water is a no-no, as it is typically of neutral pH and can raise the pH of the garden.
David’s sense of humor kept us engaged. He even brought in some pitcher plants to pass around (they were loaded with dead insects near the base!).