I pull the nickle sized circle of moss off the log before putting it in the woodstove. It’s almost brown, but I think it’s still alive.
I put it in the flower pot with my African Violet on the kitchen windowsill and water it. I’ve rescued three small circles of moss, all from the firewood, when I get the idea to start a moss garden.
So I google “moss garden” and find that I have all the things I need to start one. A glass bowl, pebbles, soil, and bark.
I’m glad to see I kept the little round fishbowl and I get some bark with lichen on it from the woodshed. I find another piece already growing moss on a dead tree in the woods. I put what I hope is the right amount of water in the bottom of the bowl. A layer of pebbles leftover from the fish tank on the bottom then a little soil, the bark, and on top of it all, the moss.
I add a snail shell for contrast then cover the bowl and put it on the windowsill.
It’s been three days and already the moss is greener and fuller than when I put it in.
I’m aware that this can become an elaborate hobby. But I don’t see that happening. I like having a place to put the moss that I find on the firewood and giving it a chance to grow.
I don’t know much about moss, but I think it will be interesting to see how it changes as it grows.
Of course Maria saves the bit of moss from the firewood! I just love your love for EVERYTHING
🙂
So many textures in such a small space! A meditation in its own right. Enjoy!
Thanks Debi. It really is like a meditation. I like that.
I LOVE this idea! Whenever I see moss I always wish that I could save it…..I think I have pretty much all of the ingredients so will give it a whirl next time I come across some!! Thank you for the great idea!
Ah Sheryl, we think alike. Good luck with your moss garden!
There’s a marvellous book by Robin Wall Kimmerer (of Braiding Sweetgrass) called GATHERING MOSS: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. “In her book, the natural history and cultural relationships of mosses become a powerful metaphor for ways of living in the world.”
Yes, Hazel, I’m familiar with that book. I read Braiding Sweetgrass and it gave me a further appreciation of the marsh on the farm, and inspired me to have a Three Sister’s Garden. I’m sure to get to Gathering Moss at some point. Thanks.