An Alien World of Moss and Fungus

Sometimes when you look really close at things they appear much different than you expect. Sometimes closeup pictures appear almost...alien. Like a strange land that contains unique flora of its own. What do you think? Can you imagine the foreign fluffy ferns and gigantic puffy cup-shaped mushroom fungi? Can you disappear for a moment into the picture and immerse yourself in some quasi-alien landscape. Or do you just see Cyathus striatus and Hypnum cupressiforme?

Nature's Carpet

Moss: Nature's Carpet

Edit: Here's just a short note to mention that I finally managed a little more work on the greenhouse! If you go to the post you'll see the beginning of a green roof overhang for the front door.

Moss in the Yard and Garden

Moss in the garden is a curious thing. Some people can't stand it in their yards. They view it as a blemish in their finely manicured landscape where they think there should be grass. I think differently. Why replace the moss with anything else? It's green year round, it grows in a trouble spot, and it prevents erosion.
Moss thrives where other plants don't like to go. Rocky soils that don't sustain other plants are no problem for moss. What is really interesting about moss is that it gets most of it's nutrients from the air. All it needs is moisture and a shady environment to grow! You can even help the moss along by taking some moss, buttermilk , and water in roughly equal proportions and mixing them in a blender. Pour the liquefied moss on the area you want it, keep it moist, and watch it grow!

Subscribe to The Home Garden

Stumble it!

I'll Have a Moss on the Rocks

What's not to like about moss? It's green, soft, fuzzy, grows well in shade, and is as resilient as they come! While gathering rocks over the weekend I stumbled upon (not literally) loads of mossy cover rocks.  This little ground covering plant attaches itself and needs no soil.  It gathers its nutrients from the air and requires good moisture to survive. As I've noticed in our own yard they will dry out through the summer and come back with a vengeance when wet weather returns.  Perhaps vengeance isn't the right word here.  Moss has a subtle calmness that surrounds it lending it a very important role as a ground cover in Japanese gardens. 



I wrote last year about moss in the yard and garden but it's a subject worth revisiting. Too many people view it as a weed and don't appreciate its potential value in the landscape. This weekend we brought home a small round rock completely covered in moss to add to the shade garden.  I'm considering cultivating more to place at the base of a Japanese maple I bought in the fall as we have a large crop of moss in the backyard just waiting for cultivation. 

For more mossy information take a look at Frances' post Moss Magic.