You love it or you hate it.
I'm in the former category, and find it to be both a fascinating and
an amazing little plant.
So for those of you who hate it, you better just skip reading thisan amazing little plant.
because it's gonna be a lovefest of moss that follows!
(click on any picture to see it larger)
While visiting the site of the Battle of Culloden in Scotland, not only did the solemness of the area strike me, but also the beauty and peacefulness.The picture above is a close up of the marvelous moss plants pictured below on those grounds.
I had been thinking about posting a mass o' moss photos and sharing my fascination with these plants when I came across a wonderful article in the Feb/Mar issue of Horticulture magazine. That spurred me to action. With the lightening speed of a snail, I've gotten this group of photos together...
Except for the first two photos taken in Scotland, these specimens are all from my very own yard and gardens.
Chartreuse!
Some people fight the moss in their lawn. I love it. It's green pretty much all the time, and it's so soft and cushiony. 
It grows with wild abandon in the damp, shady areas - love that!
So if you live in the Pacific Northwest, have plenty of evergreens around, nice moist acidic soil, embrace the marvelous moss that grows. And here's an extra bonus, you also save money by not buying those moss-killer products!If you want to see a really cool moss garden, check out the
Bloedel Reserve Moss Garden for a virtual tour!
I think that needs to be my next garden outing.
Where's yours?
~Aerie-el
As I was reading this, I was picturing the Bloedel Reserve Moss garden.... so it was great to see it appear in the post as I continued along. It's an awfully special place.
ReplyDeleteI love moss too - well maybe not in my flower pots. That looks like a great outing. I took the tour and it is beautiful. It reminds me of growing up on the Olympic Peninsula and I always wondered where my parents use to take us and all I could remember was trees with moss hanging off of them. So I asked my parents where that was and we got to go back there a couple of years ago. It's out of Hoquiam towards Forks. Absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI think my next outing might be The Kubota Gardens in Seattle. I just read about them and have already asked a friend if she'd like to do that.
This has been fun and I've already added you to my Washington Garden Blog list.
Let's hear it for MOSS !! I saw the article too. I've got a rock in my courtyard that has a tuft of moss growing in it. I've noticed that when the weather is damp, the moss is bright green. But during our dry spells, it fades to an insipid non-color. When the humidity returns, so does the color. I have moss growing on my hyper tuffa troughs now. It took a while but moss is like that, isn't it? I love the look of antiquity. Moss is my friend. :)
ReplyDeleteI love moss! I had a client once ask me, "what should I do about this moss in my front yard." I told her to enjoy it! What the problem, I said, its green, soft, you don't need to mow it, its great!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots, Aerie-el! I was just taking some of the moss growing on my wall and was going to post about how pretty I think it is! I discovered my hens and chicks has decided that the side of the wall, in the moss, is a great place to grow- I'll link to your post when I get around to posting mine! :)
ReplyDeleteI've got lots of moss growing too right now. I've purposefully left it on a planter that it has covered. I've got lots in my grass too, I don't mind it but it drives my husband crazy!
ReplyDeleteFile me in the "love" category. Great shots, especially that first one, from the moss-eye view! Did you figure out what those sprout thingies are called? I couldn't seem to. I have never been to Bloedel - perhaps you'd like to organize a future SAGBUTT meeting around a group outing there? :)
ReplyDeleteYou hit the right button with this post! I'll make my husband to read it. I already announced to him that I don't want to fight moss. It is beautiful, first, and you never win, second, the only winners are moss-killer products' manufactures. I just don't like when it grows on the roof. Thanks for the post and the pictures!
ReplyDeleteMoss rocks! We have loads in our garden as well (more by accident than design) and line all our cast iron window boxes with it. Englands so damp it thrives here as well! Such a natural, soft look!
ReplyDeleteLinzi
I've got a bit of moss and love it. I might even buy some different types someday! Love those pictures - maybe especially because I've got some Scottish roots and would love to visit the country.
ReplyDeleteI went into the nearest city (as opposed to the town I live in) for the sole purpose of picking up the new Horticulture and Gardens Illustrated magazines, and happened upon the wonderful article on moss. Sadly it is not frequent in the garden, but a cataract trail I walk every week has wonderful woodland areas, complete with an abundance of moss. I am hoping that I can get some to grow and cover the stepping stones in the shaded garden. Awesome post! (M)arch is for MOSS!!!
ReplyDeleteFantastic photos Aerie-el. I'm really starting to enjoy moss. Funny thing is I can never get it to grow where I want it! Go figure.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we have much moss here, but I could be wrong. I think I remember my son seeing some somewhere, and liking it. I'll have to look into it. I bet there are lots of different kinds that grow in specific areas. I guess I have seen it on trees. Well, I've rambled enough.
ReplyDeleteHappy almost spring!
Moss is a much maligned gardening or yard feature. I love it amongst my beds and gardening decor. It makes things look ancient or that they have been there forever.I saw at the garden show that many of the stone walls and walkways had moss in the cracks to make them look older and with the new stacked stones to fill the cracks. Scotland and Ireland are two of the places I would love to visit. You are so lucky to visit Scotland.
ReplyDeleteI love moss too!
ReplyDeleteWhen I visit my daughter in Portland, Oregon I love to pat her moss...
I have a wee bit in my gardens...not very much.
No chemicals....let's enjoy the way nature is. No reason to be killing Mother Nature.. Moss is fantastic.
My next garden to visit will be my daughter's. Lots of lovely moss.
Thank you for a fun post.
Sherry
Aerie-el
ReplyDeleteI so love moss and believe it or not I have a very nice clump on my terrace in SF. In fact my post for tomorrow has a picture of it. And in Fort Bragg, there's moss everywhere except where I want it -between the irregularly shaped slate slabs on my front walkway. I'm trying to figure it out. Any ideas?? Love your posts.
Teza, I love it! Yes, March is for Moss! Hope the moss grows for you there :)
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Gardeness, Isn't that the truth with many things!! Good luck with getting it to grow where you like it!
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Sue, I'll be interested to hear if you can grow moss there. I'm guessing it's not in your lawn!
We had SLEET this morning. AND they're predicting snow this weekend. What's up with this topsy-turvy weather anyway?
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Lona, Scottish roots on one side of the family figured heavily in our going to Scotland, and we feel very fortunate to have been able to do that. Hope you can visit there &/or Ireland someday!
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Sherry, your daughter's place sounds lovely. Portland has so many wonderful gardens. We went there for a weekend and visited 3 gardens in 2 days. It was a dream weekend :) Enjoy your next visit!
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~Aerie-el
Moss is very appealing, especially on a fallen log, or covering rocks.
ReplyDeletevery cool moss photos... second to last is my favored one. hope the snow is melting. was that a red-winged blackbird I saw on a more recent post? I should have seen one by now.
ReplyDeletejust came back to see your new snow post. enough.
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