My basic clay soil is retentive, but I have no naturally damp or boggy areas. Wish I did! So many lovely things, Primroses, Astilbe, Ferns, Ligularia, to name a few, want a really damp soil. I do have one small, circular bed surrounding a bird bath, designed for moisture lovers. When I prepared this bed, I dug down about 30", lined the bottom with various sized stones and inserted a section of 4" PVC pipe which terminates at grade level. I keep it covered with a bit of flagstone to keep critters and debris out. Every week or so, I run the hose into this pipe until water seeps out at ground level. This seems to simulate naturally damp conditions well enough to keep the plants happy.
Most plants, even those preferring a consistently moist soil, require good drainage. Only true bog plants want standing water around their roots and crowns all year around. You can create conditions even more 'boggy' than my little circle garden by excavating an area and lining it with plastic, an old children's wading pool, butyl rubber or even an old wash tub. Any of these will need a few holes poked in to provide some drainage, but the object is to create consistently damp conditions, so you don't want "good" drainage. An old concrete ornamental pool that no longer holds water properly would also work. Backfill with a highly organic soil mix suitable for the plants you intend to grow and water as necessary to keep the soil moist.
The most difficult 'damp' shade is that created by structures. This type of shade can be a slimy, algae-coated corner where no sun penetrates, soil is compacted clay and drainage is poor. Few plants beyond mosses and liverworts will flourish in a spot like this unless major improvements are made in the soil structure and drainage. Next time, we'll talk about soil and how to improve it.
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