The inherent
beauty of mosses is becoming widely appreciated as witnessed
in the establishment of moss gardens worldwide. However,
just as flower or vegetable gardens don't magically grow by themselves,
utilizing mosses in the lawn or garden also requires an initial
time investment. However, once established moss "lawns"
and gardens require little maintenance and offer beautiful rewards.
The best source
of information on moss gardening is the book Moss Gardening
by George
Schenk (1997).
This book is illustrated with beautiful color photos that clearly
convey the visual appeal of living with mosses.
Mosses are commonly
used to enhance the aesthetics of a garden. This is beautifully
illustrated in the book Oriental Gardening (Japanese Garden
Society of Oregon 1996).
Pages 126-127 introduce the subject. The beauty of mosses as
a key element in the Oriental garden is apparent in photos on
pages 65 (groundcover in shady area), 73 (carpeting a stone water
basin), 172 (over rock ledges by a pool), and 180-181 (as an
extensive ground cover).
More information:
Why
use mosses?
Which
mosses should I use?
Establishing
mosses in gardens
Maintenance
of mosses in gardens
Photo above: moss-
and lichen-covered wall at the churchyard at Kilmartin, Scotland.
This is a freelaid stone wall. The overhanging trees encourage
the growth of mosses. Sunnier walls (below) are covered mainly
by lichens. |