There is one area of our property that is thriving. With the moisture and cool temperatures we’ve been experiencing, plants in this habitat are at their peak of health under the canopy of large tulip poplar trees on the banks of our frog pond. Here we find our healthy carpet of mosses that spread over the ground, clinging to exposed tree roots, fallen limbs, rocks and stones in a mass of textures. It is a soft and soothing garden to visit, one that entices you to stretch out on a warm summer day to watch the frogs in the pond or simply take a cool break out of the summer sun. Just studying the mosses, it’s easy to envision a tiny fairy village in a parallel universe around mounds of moss and lichen, beneath small ferns, where salamanders provide public transportation.
With Garden Club of Virginia members last fall, I visited the Richmond home of Norie Burnet, the ‘Moss Lady,’ whose lovely 4-acre moss lawn is a moss masterpiece and quite well-known to gardeners. Norie struggled to eradicate the moss in her yard for years but the yard absolutely defied any grass. She gave up and the end result is a totally awesome clean sweep of velvet. Norie keeps it free of leaves and she makes sure it is watered during dry periods or it languishes, she says. Unlike Norie, we don’t do a thing to maintain our moss. We don’t mow there. We don’t rake there. We don’t fertilize there and we don’t weed there. Mother Nature is in charge. But I do protect it from digging dogs, from a son using pin cushion moss as tees for chipping golf balls, from mister gardener whose brush pile creeps closer and closer each year.
Mosses have no true roots to conduct water and their ‘leaves’ are one cell thick. Water and nutrients are absorbed externally so our moss garden is basking in the cool, wet weather of early spring. We have several varieties sharing this space beneath the tulip poplars. Some of them, I am familiar with as they are common in this area but others I have never bothered to identify. I believe we have feather moss (Thuidium delicatulum), pin cushion moss (Leucobryum glaucum) and juniper hair cap moss (Polytrichum commune). Someday, perhaps, I’ll buy a book to put names to the rest of them but right now it doesn’t seem that important.
Ann Hohenberger, The Garden Club of Gloucester
Ann, inspiring! Also, very informative. Your graden looks like it has been unscathed by our harsh winter. Looks like spring is on the way!
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I am converting my lawn into a moss garden and one of the problems I got is animals who dig holes in my moss. Have you ever had a problem like this?
Please visit my moss garden blog at http://whoneedsthegrass.blogspot.com.
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YellowThumb, Gee, no. I have not had such a problem. On your blog, I saw the damage and I’m amazed. I assume the animal was after food of some sort. Was it a skunk? They are notorious for digging for grubs in lawns. I’m guessing skunk or raccoon. We have squirrels that dig small holes.
You’re off to a great start with your moss garden. Don’t give up.
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I don’t think we have skunks in Western Washington. Probably, a raccoon.
I’ve covered the area with a bird net and it works great – no more damage!
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Well, I learned something new today about skunks. I thought they were everywhere. I hope you continue to blog about your moss garden. Good luck!
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I currently have a moss garden but want to expand it to eliminate all of my grass lawn.
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Mandy, I’d love to do that but my two active labs would destroy it. Good luck with your moss garden!
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What is the moss in the first picture?
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I believe it is called Hair Cap Moss (Polytrichum commune), one of my very favorite mosses.
I checked out your photography site and WOW! Great talent.
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Can someone help me to get in touch with Mrs. Burnet for a tour of her garden? My email is bendukes73@gmail.com or cell 757-535-5821 thanks, Ben Dukes
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