Decorative moss - features of use in the design of the house and garden (75 photos)
Lacy and soft to the touch moss blanket was chosen as decoration of temple gardens by ancient Buddhist monks who elevated landscape design to the rank of a special art. Globalization has also served well here, giving gardeners the technology of cultivating spore plants.
Decorative moss for the garden is an unpretentious champion: it does not need fertilizers, is equally beautiful in all seasons, and replacing unsightly weeds, makes it easier to care for the site.
Types of Moss
Leucobrius grafts well in partial shade on sandy ground. The slightly convex velvet cushions of this moss tend to absorb sounds and can create a special atmosphere in areas intended for relaxing in the garden.
Hypnos moss grafts equally well 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 mushrooms. It has tall stalks resembling flax shoots and drill-colored boxes.
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, located in the shady sections of the garden, creates dense thickets that resemble openwork patterns of fern leaves.
The shoots of peat moss create a flowering 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 for decorating lawns and alpine slides.
Growing methods and care
Moss grows in the shade and constant moisture, so the area of its use for decorating the garden is strictly limited by these environmental 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. For oxidation of 1 sq. 70 meters of sulfur or 1.5 kg of peat can be used for a meter of the area intended for breeding.
For breeding, there are two ways: seedlings or creating the conditions for education. The first method is most convenient, since it saves several years needed to remove moss from spores.
Seedlings can be bought in specialized stores where they are specially processed and fertilized. In this case, the decisive factor should be suitable conditions for this variety, and not external attractiveness. The unpretentiousness of moss occurs only after it is successfully grafted and began to multiply.
You can also bring a fragment of your favorite instance from the nearest forest, then the chances will increase that the culture will quickly take root in similar climatic conditions.
Moss growing on stones is useful for decorating an alpine hill, and for a mossy carpet you need to take fragments from the ground, that is, seedlings are selected in accordance with their purpose.
Fragments of moss for transplantation are carefully scooped up together with a layer of soil; when carrying it is necessary to ensure a constant flow of moisture and protect it from light. It is better to put the collected moss to the bottom of the basket or bucket to prevent mechanical damage.
Seedlings are planted in autumn or spring. The place chosen for it must be enriched with a mixture of chernozem and peat taken in equal parts. You can also add some clay and expanded clay. Before planting, the soil is cleaned of leaves, plant fragments and other debris and loosened to a shallow, up to 5 cm, depth.
Usually, several pads are planted, which are located from each other at a small distance left for growth. Before this, they need to be wetted, and gently, trying not to crush the plant, press close to the surface of the soil. In the first period, you need to be especially careful to maintain the necessary humidity on the site.
The creeping of seedlings during wind and rains can be limited by a light hedge of slivers or pieces of bark. You can also build low hedges 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. You can also add biostimulants to the blank - kefir, yogurt or beer with a little 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 a smooth velvet cut is a liquid paste of white clay seasoned with pieces of moss and fish emulsion, which is then applied to the surface with a brush.
New sprouts of moss appear a month and a half after planting.
A mossy lawn or rockery requires maintaining moderately wet conditions and regular cleansing of debris. Fallen leaves, cones, etc. garden litter will not only ruin the appearance of the carpet, but can also cause moss to rot.
Moss design for interior
It is practically impossible to grow moss in a confined space, but thanks to the preservation technology, a stabilized moss is created, which can become a stylish decor, decorating flower pots and flowerpots. It is also used as a part for Ekibana or compositions in transparent glass containers along with stones, shells, fruits and cones.
A separate direction is decorating the walls with moss. Masters of this, requiring knowledge and patience, create artistic 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.
Using special plates, which are saturated with spores of moss, you can create colorful compositions with your own hands, combining them with indoor plants. Or just turn one of the walls into a piece of pristine nature, covering it with a solid green carpet. Such a phytowall will create a unique atmosphere, purifying the air, regulating humidity and providing sound insulation in the room.
Photo of decorative moss
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