I've given up on trying to rescue a 10 x 8ft area of lawn at the bottom
of my garden. It just wants to stay wet for 11 months of the
year...thanks to my deep Berkshire clay. It had anyway become populated
by boggy weeds so I have decided to let it be a bog garden. I didn't
like the weeds though so I have removed the topsoil, complete with most
of the weeds and roots and what turf there was and I now have a clear,
brown patch with puddles. I would like to beautify a bit while planting
some bog-lovers and would be grateful for advice.

Firstly, I'm all ears for plant recommendations. I want some height
mixed with some colour, but I don't like anything that looks like giant
rhubarb (threw some of that away). I guess I want it to look at least
semi-cultivated/planned rather than some bog gardens that I have seen
which are more or less overgrown with the kind of coarse leaves that
I've just dug up.

Next, should I improve the soil or just leave it be? It can clearly
support healthy weeds.

Presumably I will need to make planting holes - but I'm thinking these
will just fill with water. Maybe I should plant in baskets?

Should I edge the area, maybe with rocks or sleepers and/or some
marginal plants?

And to prevent the weeds returning could I cover with a
weed-suppressing fabric, mulch and/or gravel/slate/shingle?

And finally, the supreme irony: for the one month of the year when this
area dries out, should I add water?

Thanks for any advice.

Simon