Decorative moss — features of use in home and garden design (75 photos)

Lace and soft to the touch blanket made of moss was chosen as a decoration of temple gardens by ancient Buddhist monks, who elevated landscape design to the rank of a special art. Globalization has also served a good service here, giving gardeners the technology of cultivating spore plants.

Decorative moss for the garden is a champion for unpretentiousness: it does not need fertilizers, is equally beautiful in all seasons, and replacing unsightly weeds, facilitates the care of the site.

Leukobrium is well grafted in partial shade on sandy soil. Slightly convex velvet pads of this moss have the property of absorbing sounds and can create a special atmosphere in the areas provided for relaxing in the garden.

Gypsum moss is equally well grafted on the ground and on stones. It can also grow in partial shade, which significantly expands the scope of its application.

Kukushkin flax, or polytrichum, from the genus of deciduous mosses, is found in swampy forest areas, near mycelium. It has tall stems resembling flax shoots and brown-colored boxes.

A low dicranum with a feathery bright green cover is appreciated by designers for decorating vertical surfaces. It grows at the foot of trees in coniferous forests.

Fern moss fully justifies its name, being located in shady areas of the garden, creates dense thickets resembling openwork patterns of fern leaves.

Peat moss shoots create a blooming carpet with many shades of pink and green. It grows well on sandy soils near water.

In the photo, there are several ideas for using decorative moss to decorate lawns and alpine slides.

Methods of cultivation and care

Moss grows in shade and constant moisture, so the areas of its use for garden decoration are strictly limited by these natural conditions. A place under the crown of coniferous and deciduous trees, located near an artificial or natural reservoir, is ideal for this purpose.

The northern part of large cobblestones, sculptures and buildings can also become a breeding ground for a velvety carpet.

Another condition for the reproduction of moss is the increased acidity of the soil. 70 grams of sulfur or 1.5 kg of peat can be used to oxidize 1 square meter of the area intended for breeding.

There are two ways for breeding: by seedlings or by creating conditions for education. The first method is the most convenient, because it saves several years needed to remove moss from spores.

Seedlings can be bought in specialized stores, where they are specially processed and fertilized. At the same time, the conditions suitable for this variety, and not external attractiveness, should be the decisive factor. The unpretentiousness of moss comes only after it is successfully grafted and began to multiply.

You can also bring a fragment of a favorite specimen from the nearest forest, then the chances will increase that the culture will be quickly grafted in similar climatic conditions.

Moss growing on stones is useful for the design of an alpine slide, and for a mossy carpet you need to take fragments from the ground, that is, seedlings are selected according to their purpose.

Fragments of moss for transplantation are carefully dug out together with a layer of soil, when carrying it is necessary to ensure a constant supply of moisture and protect from light. It is better to put the collected moss on the bottom of a basket or bucket to exclude mechanical damage.

Seedlings are planted in autumn or spring. The place chosen for it needs to be enriched with a mixture of chernozem and peat taken in equal parts. You can also add a little clay and expanded clay. Before planting, the soil is cleaned of leaves, plant fragments and other debris and loosened to a small, up to 5 cm, depth.

Usually, several pads are planted, which are located from each other at a small distance, left for growth. Before that, they need to be wetted, and gently, trying not to crush the plant, press it close to the soil surface. In the first period, you need to be especially attentive to maintaining the necessary humidity on the site.

The sliding of seedlings during wind and rain can be limited to a light fence of chips or pieces of bark. You can also build low fences on stones and walls that will fix the moss in the right place.

Growing moss on stones, walls, sculptures has its own characteristics. To do this, a mixture of pieces of moss and forest soil is created, which must be crushed in a blender with the addition of water. Biostimulants can also be added to the billet – kefir, yogurt or beer with a small amount of sugar.

This mixture is applied to the surface and covered with a film for several days, during which it is necessary to ventilate the culture from time to time.

Another recipe for creating an even velvet cut is a liquid paste made of white clay seasoned with pieces of moss and fish emulsion, which is then applied to the surface with a brush.

New moss sprouts appear a month and a half after planting.

A mossy lawn or rockery requires maintaining a moderately moist regime and regular cleaning of debris. Fallen leaves, cones, etc. garden debris will not only spoil the appearance of the carpet, but can also provoke moss rotting.

Moss design for interior

Moss is almost impossible to grow in an enclosed space, but thanks to canning technology, stabilized moss is created, which can become a stylish decor, decorating flower pots and planters. It is also used as a part for ekibana or compositions in transparent glass containers together with stones, shells, fruits and cones.

A separate direction is considered to be the decoration of walls with moss. Masters of this business, which requires knowledge and patience, create art panels that amaze with their color scheme and original texture.

The fashion for eco-style in the interior has led to the popularization of the use of natural moss not only for various crafts, but also as a material for covering walls.

With the help of special plates that are impregnated with moss spores, you can create colorful compositions with your own hands, combining them with indoor plants. Or simply turn one of the walls into a piece of pristine nature, covering it with a solid green carpet. Such a phytosten will create a unique atmosphere, purifying the air, regulating humidity and providing sound insulation in the room.

Photos of decorative moss