Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
Photo by : Ippei Naoi / Getty Images .
Anyone who has fall out upon a velveteened sign in the woods or glimpsed emerald - clothe statuary is likely to be seduce by moss ’ color - saturated sumptuousness . But it is essential for those hop to lie in a carpet in their own backyard or palaver the spread of an existing patch to sympathise the quirks of this ancient plant .
Like many 400 - million - class - old , moss is particular about its environment . Shade or semi - shade is ordinarily a necessity . So are a consistent source of ambient moisture and argus-eyed criminal maintenance to keep it gratis of weeds and debris ( because moss are nonvascular - no roots - they rely on their leaves for transportation of nutrient and moisture ) . Experts suggest localize down net on top of moss in the downslope and on a regular basis emptying it of fall leaves .
Even so , “ a moss lawn take far less maintenance than grass , ” say Andy Navage , director of horticulture at theBloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island in Washington . It ’s not bothered by compacted stain , does n’t require pesticide , and is signally resilient when it get along to drouth and cold , going abeyant when conditions are less lucky , and rehydrating when things improve . “ With a Gunter Wilhelm Grass lawn you ’re look at mowing once or twice a week , ” Navage says . “ But with a steadfastly make moss garden , you really only have to keep the majority of the farewell off and check that weeds do n’t impinge . ”
Photo by : Michael Kraus .
Rock cap moss(Dicranum ) will thrive in deep shade . Transplant it when parting are already on the trees , as sun can quickly impose harm . This works will uprise on top of rocks and Boulder . Adopt it as a ground cover or else of grass for shady areas .
whisker chapiter moss(Polytrichum commune ) prefers medium shade to fond sun , and flaxen , acidic soils . If the soil is sufficiently moist , it can put up almost full sun . This variety can deal wakeful foot dealings .
shock absorber moss(Leucobryum glaucum ) favors subtlety but can allow partial sun . Grow it in sandy rather than dumb soils . The plant spring up in clumps and appears a light green with a silvern white mold .
Sheet moss(Hypnum ) , one of the most rough-cut case of moss , thrives in deep shade and has a corking transplant success rate . Its dense green Master of Arts in Teaching can handle light foot dealings . Use it between stepping stones or , because of its low emergence use , as a basis top to foreground other low - range plants .
Grass can be knotty to keep at bay laurel , says moss ecologist Dr. Robin Kimmerer , generator ofGathering Moss(Oregon State University Press ; 2003 ) . “ Unless the conditions are sufficiently moist and shady , in a competitive situation between grass and moss , the grass is generally going to get ahead . ”
Moss garden can be established in three ways :
Though moss coveters have been known to irresponsibly harvest or pull up patches willy - nilly , says Nancy Church , a married person at Moss Acres , one of the nation ’s few suppliers of live moss , such exercise bid invasive species and could render a particular species extinct in a given area .
Whichever method you choose , you could count on one thing : wait . “ The most significant thing to realize are the motivation for an establish moisture cycle … and longanimity , ” state Church .
Read about the moss in Japan ’s garden in AWorld Apartand watch more about cultivate moss inA Moss Milkshake .
Looking for a rare flora ? Try one of thesemail - order nursery .
