moss gardening

How do handle moss gardening?

A walk through an old-growth forest is a treat for the senses and the soul. The vibrant color displayed in a thousand different shades of green delights the eyes. The sounds of birds singing and squirrels frolicking through the branches serenade and soothe the soul. The cool, moist air feels so refreshing to the skin and there are so many interesting textures to explore with both the fingers and the eyes. And the fragrance of the forest will stay with you the rest of your life.

One way to keep a bit of that gloriously green adventure alive in your home is with moss. The aroma of moss fills the forest and gives it that fertile, earthly essence that defines the experience.

Gardening moss can be quite fascinating. And it’s just about the easiest form of gardening imaginable.

It doesnot require a great deal of sunlight so most home environments have ample light to make this interesting little plant thrive. And mosses are small so most of us can find room enough in our homes.

One of the easiest ways to achieve success with gardening moss is to plant your garden in a terrarium. These self-contained enclosed gardens quite literally maintain themselves and all you have to do is watch it thrive.

Terrariums can be any clear glass or plastic container that is waterproof and can be covered. An empty fish bowl or aquarium tank works great. So do brandy snifters and canning jars. You can even buy containers that are specially designed as terrariums.

To start your terrarium, place a layer of pebbles along the bottom to ensure good drainage. You can use colored pebbles or aquarium gravel if you‘d like. Even seashells make a nice choice.

Top this layer of drainage stones with a layer of granulated charcoal. Charcoal keeps the moisture and the air in the enclosed container from getting stale and smelling bad once your moss project is well established and growing nicely.

Top the charcoal with a layer of potting soil that is about as deep as the two layers below it combined. This is the ground for your moss gardening landscape so have some fun here. Build slopes and valleys in this layer to mimic a natural landscape. Spritz this layer of soil with enough water to make it uniformly damp.

Now add the plants. Any assortment of mosses will do fine. Experiment with different mosses to see which varieties look best together. And, yes, there are many varieties of mosses from which to choose.

Lay the moss across the soil from wall to wall for a carpeted effect. Or leave some gaps between the different kinds of mosses and watch what takes over.

For a look that closely resembles that forest that inspired the moss gardening project in the first place, you might want to include a fern or two and some other small plants that have the same environmental needs as your mosses and ferns.

Once your moss gardening landscape is in place, spritz again but just enough to refresh the plants. You don’t want a soggy landscape.

Have some fun now by adding an interesting rock or seashell to your landscape. Stores that sell aquarium supplies stock many interesting decorative objects that are ideal for terrariums, too.

Now just top your terrarium with a cover and your moss gardening chores are done. Your terrarium will do the work from here.

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