Marsh marigolds and lady's slipper are both shade-tolerant bog plants. They're also very showy.

For a supplier you can try Hortico's out of Waterdown Ontario.

Vesey's spring catalogue also carry unusual lady's slippers when in season. They're quite expensive though.

Hope that helps.

I've successfully grown phlox and platycodon in the bog area around my pond and echinachea thrived there too. I planted monarda this summer and they seem to be doing well. Mine are in mostly sun, but all these plants will tolerate some shade.

Ligularia loves shade and moisture. The leaves of mine are purple on the underside and it bears yellow flowers.

We tried growing primula, but we have too much sun. They'll probably do well in your shady conditions.

Cannazone5, does this bog area as you describe have standing water all the time or only in the spring? There are many plants that like to grow in a very moist area but might not stand to have their "feet" in water all the time. Some suggestions are the native elderberry, cranberry,and nannyberry bushes. Perennials include obedient plant (physostegia), turtleheads (chelone), blue or red lobelias (l.siphilitica and l.cardinalis), heleniums, rudbeckia 'Goldquelle', verbena hastata, annual Jewelweed, swamp aster (aster puniceus), etc.

Wow, Thank you for your responses!
Ontnative, the area is directly below a retaining wall and as it is lower than the rest of by back yard, it gets all the rain and water runoff. It is therefore especially bogged after a rainfall. The wall itself is structurally sound and well engineered. I would say that this year, our rains have been average and the soil remains wet. Two years ago (remember THAT summer?) when it rained almost everyday, it was a nightmare down there--just weeds!

Since posting this ad, I decided to transplant some hostas and see how they do. I also had an extra bleeding heart leftover from another project & decided to throw it down there (though I doubt it will overwinter).

I think I may also try some long blooming Joe Pye Weed (sorry, don't know latin name)and take the advice on the lobelia. Lady's slippers sound so beautiful but aren't in the budget. Thank you canadian daisy, dianasan & ontnative for your suggestions.

One more thing:

A friend told me that horsetail can grow in the area though I read that it wants sun & can be invasive both through rhizomes & spores. Any feedback on that? The area gets early afternoon sun for about 2 hrs/day in the spring/summer.

Horsetail is very invasive, so I would avoid that one. The pink Joe Pye Weeds definitely like moist to wet soil so that would be a good choice if you don't mind the height. Their flowers are a dusty pink, not exactly a vibrant colour. You could even try Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate', although it doesn't need a wet area. It is shorter than most and has creamy white flowers quite late in the fall. The leaves are a burgundy-green colour most of the summer.

Iris versicolor (or Iris siberica) would probably love to have wet feet. Their bloom time is rather short but the foliage is attractive most of the year.

If you are going with some lobelias, try the hybrid ones like Compliment Deep Red or Compliment Scarlet. as well as lobelia siphilitica (native blue one). I find that they are hardier (?) or at least more persistant then the red native lobelia cardinalis.