Issues → March/April 2007 → Home & Garden →
Moss Garden by Christine Cook
(page 2 of 2)
Create a Moss Garden
Here are Christine's tips for transplanting her beloved bryophytes:
Never take moss from private property or nature preserves; instead, purchase propagated moss from a moss farm.
The best time to transplant is between May and October, and always after a rain.
When transplanting, match similar growing conditions, such as lighting and soil. (For instance, transplant mosses growing in shade to a shaded site. Different moss species like different light, iron, and acidity levels.)
To transplant, dig out a patch of existing moss, including the soil beneath it. Bring the patch to the new location, then press firmly to knit with the new medium. Water immediately afterward, sprinkling about three times in the first week.
To give newly transplanted moss a jump start, Christine mixes a solution of buttermilk and water and sprinkles that in. No one knows why the buttermilk works; it might be the fat or the protein, but it does seem to enhance the moss. It's best applied after a rain; if it doesn't rain on cue, water the moss before applying. The ratio is 1 quart buttermilk to 1 gallon water (most easily mixed in a watering can) per 30- x 30-foot square. Twice a year, in spring and fall, Christine applies a more dilute concentration of the buttermilk solution (1 quart buttermilk to 2 gallons water) to give established moss a boost.
Don't overwater. Depending on the weather, twice a week should do after new or transplanted moss is established. No need to water if it rains; in very dry, windy weather, additional watering might be necessary.
Keep moss clear of fallen leaves in autumn and winter.
Resources for Moss Gardens
Christine Cook, Mossaics, Easton, CT. 203-268-3218.
Humboldt Field Research Institute Steuben, ME. 207-546-2821; eaglehill.us
Sticks and Stones Farm, Newtown, CT.203-270-8820; sticksandstonesfarm.com
Moss Acres, Honesdale, PA. 866-438-6677; mossacres.com
Reader Comments
Comment from CHRISTOPHER MEYER on December 28, 2008
Chris, Your expansion into your field has never ceased to amaze and enlighten me. I have, and always will be a ardent admirer of your use of the sublimity of color and structure. Your work in serigraphy and the use of fractals therein has a mathematical beauty that has inspired many of my discourses on how math, logic and color relate to music and kendo. The freedom of thought that you have inspires allows us to think of a 13/8 time signature as an artistic expression rather than simply metronomic manipulation.
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