Moss...
my mind wanders and I imagine a cool, damp garden
draped in an emerald carpet.
I am fascinated by moss. Maybe it is because I don't have much of it in my garden, except on some rocks by my pond.
When we were in Georgia on vacation this summer, I visited Callaway Gardens. The moss growing along the sides of the paths caught my attention. This would be a rare sight during a Texas summer.
At our vacation cabin (which was on 8 acres surrounded by a river on 3 sides of the property) I saw lots of beautiful moss.
I took these mossy pictures as I went exploring the property.
Note to self:
Do not go exploring in the Georgia mountains again
without putting on chigger repellent!!!
Don't these pictures make you just want to reach out and pet the moss :-)
I came across a wonderful website recently when I was on Blotanical looking for new blogs to visit.
David Spain and Ken Gergle are landscapers in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. According to their website, they operate the only moss nursery in the United States. They have the cutest little product called Moss Rocks! Check out their website and blog to learn some interesting information about moss and see the beautiful moss gardens they have designed.
(Note: I have no affiliation with this company or these men; I just was so impressed with their website and landscape designs in moss that I just wanted to share their site with you.)
I corresponded with David through email recently; and he assures me that I can, indeed, grow moss in Texas.
I am on a mission to grow moss; but I fear that come August, that cool, damp, emerald-carpeted garden of my imagination will be just that -- my imagination.
Cool, mossy dreams to you....
Toni :-)
P. S. Also, visit Deb at Deb's Garden to read a very informational post on how she has grown beautiful moss paths in her woodland garden.
Toni, Beautiful pictures! The moss looks so sweet and lovely! The photos look like they were taken in a secret forest with magical creatures.
ReplyDeleteHi Lucy. The vacation spot we stayed at was in the Georgia mountains (and forest!) near Dahlonega. Such a beautiful area!!! Unfortunately the only "magical creatures" I ran across were chiggers! I itched and scratched like crazy for a week or two!
DeleteYou are so right - moss adds a lot to a look of a garden!I love moss too! We have moss growing everywhere. I try to control it on the lawn, otherwise it can eat all grass. It gets brown when summer is hot and dry. It is welcome anywhere else - under the shrubs and trees, along the paths, on the statuary, ets. If I could I would share some moisture with you. I hope you can grow moss in your garden!
ReplyDeleteI was blown away when I saw the Moss & Stone Gardens website and the gorgeous moss landscapes they have created. I know it grows like crazy in your neck of the woods. I have relatives in Oregon, and I know moss grows everywhere up there -- even on the roof. I am hoping I can get at least a small patch of moss to grow, maybe in a container that I can monitor the moisture conditions.
DeleteA beautiful book is Gathering Moss by Robin Kimmerer. It's not only informative and I learned so much about this incredible plant, but it is beautifully written by someone who is a real nature observer. There are some eye opening and funny chapters on what money can buy if you want the ultimate moss garden! Good luck with yours, you can have lovely moss in your garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip about the book, Laurrie. I'll have to check it out. I know I can't have a whole garden of moss, but as I mentioned to Tatyana, maybe I can start with a container and "grow" from there :-)
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ReplyDeleteI have just one little spot of moss. When the drought was killing everything, I noticed it had turned brown. I would try to remember to go out and water it occasionally! I so wish that little spot of moss would grow to be a big spot! I suppose a lot depends upon our drought situations in the future. Good luck to you on growing moss! I agree it is very enticing.
ReplyDeleteHi Toni! I came over to see if you had a picture of your potting bench posted. LOL! Moss is everywhere here in my location in Ohio. I love it too and it is fascinating the places it will grow. Have a wonderful week and thanks for dropping by. Lona
ReplyDeletehaha, first i really love your title, now i remember the mice i saw downstairs in the office. Mosses grow luxuriantly in this country and sometimes it becomes our problem when it grows on pavements. They make our paths dangerously slippery. But i agree with you, when on rocks they are lovely. A few months back i posted some of them too. And I have been thinking of posting some again, but didn't know some people like you love them, and also didn't some people make them a business!
ReplyDeleteI love moss. When ever I have yogurt or sour cream hit their expiration date, I usually put it on a concrete statue or planter or on rocks, hoping something will grow before the cats lick it off.
ReplyDeleteI have always been fascinated with moss and lichens. It will be interesting to see if you are able to grow any moss in Texas. Great pictures!
ReplyDeleteI have moss growing between my patio pavers right now. It, too, will be a memory by summer but I enjoy it while I can. I love how soft it is. Your questioning of the pink flowers on Karley rose with the color of hte pot didn't bother me at all. :o) I appreciate your honesty. The bottom of the pot is a soft camel color that I think looks great with pink. But I understand your thing with color. I think chartreuse plants all look anemic and want to drown them in Ironite. :o)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, Toni! We have tons of moss in our backyard. I guess I take it for granted. Thanks for this wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteI have some moss in my dry sand-hill Georgia garden, it really shows up after the leaves drop... Growing on tree trunks that are kept shaded by the scuppernogs, and where the hawthorns are thick enough, even on an old carpet I covered the sand with in my shaded outdoor kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that you may need more shade, to have more moss.
I was taking moss pics at the same time I shot the lichen pics... The lichen made a better show for me...
Great moss pics, moss is underappreciated.
I love the little mosses and lichens. They are so nice in winter when not much else is going on. Thanks so much for sharing them with us.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteI love moss as well. There is one shady area of my yard that is quite mossy. I have thought of cultivating it elsewhere to have more. It adds so much to the garden.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to add that I like your blog so much that I nominated it for the Versatile Blogger Award in my last post. Enjoy!
DeleteI hear ya, Toni! Not much moss growing in my ATX garden either! There is some moss to be found on some of the trails throughout the neighborhood though. The moss never fails to capture my heart and attention. It's just so magical!
ReplyDeleteI love moss as well! I only have one little shade garden area and am trying to cultivate a little moss garden. I adore Moss & Stone Gardens - they have such gorgeous moss dishes!!
ReplyDeleteNice pictures you put up there.... our garden is new, so no moss yet.... another year, there will be moss, when the area is cool and healthy.
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DeleteRoseJan 25, 2012 09:10 AM
ReplyDeleteLove your blog , just came upon it and am thrilled to join. My moss is covered in a blanket of snow, but amazingly it remains green even under that frozen blanket, waiting for the warm spring sun so it can continue spreading throughout my garden pathways.
Hi Toni, I love moss as well. This summer I planted it into my flagstone pathway. I hope it survives the winter.
ReplyDeleteHi Toni
ReplyDeleteGreat post! love,love,love moss! Did you know most moss can be dried and used in decoration? I carefully lift it from rock or ground, pack it in brown grocery bags layered with newspaper and close the bag, putting it in a dry, dark place
for several weeks. When fully dry, I scrape all soil off and line baskets made from large dried sunflower heads with it. Beautiful! Thanks for the site recommendation for Moss and Stone Gardens.
glimpsesofglory-karen.blogspot.com/