The Bog in a Barrel – last on the card, August

This fast photo is one of the few I’ve shot this summer of my ” bog in a barrel.” This barrel once served as a staging ground for wetland plants and supplies for my pond while I was developing it. Eventually, the pond was on its own, and I abandoned it. But it did its own thing over the fall and winter of that year. The following spring, I noticed it was developing nicely into a small wetland bog alone, without my help. Since then, it’s become its own feature in the garden, frequently offering interesting small surprises.

I shot this when I noticed a plant new to the barrel but native to the area—the American Water Horehound. Its distinctive axillary white flowers and gently lobed leaves helped me identify it. I always like it when there is activity in the bog – like something native showing up that I did not put there. The bog in a barrel is small but is an integral part of my garden.