When the gardens are planted and crops are starting to be harvested it time to turn your attention to the “fun” aspects of gardening. Garden art falls readily into this category. How about creating a moss landscape rock or garden statue?
Moss will make certain garden elements look and feel aged and as if they have been part of the landscape for years. Moss also adds tranquility to any shade garden. The trouble with garden moss though, is that sometimes it may not even grow at all on its own. And if it does, it may take a very long time to become established.
Here is an easy way to accelerate and establish a beautiful green moss cover for your garden rocks and concrete features. This project is a favorite of children and will encourage their interest in gardening, landscaping and nature.
This method doesn’t work well on resin statues and artificial landscape rocks. I have found natural items, old item with cracks and crevices and stone or cement work the best. Wood will also work but the moss will retain moisture causing the piece to deteriorate quicker.
To create a moss garden piece or sculptures stir a fist size clump of porcelain clay into three cups of water to form a thin paste. You can harvest clay from nature but purchasing porcelain clay from a local hobby shop can be easier.
Combine the clay mixture with one cup of undiluted fish emulsion and one cup of fresh, shredded moss. Fish emulsion is a plant fertilizer made from whole fish. It’s usually available at retail nurseries and garden centers. (I also use fish emulsion as a liquid fertilizer in the gardens and on houseplants.)
Mix the clay, fish emulsion and shredded moss together in an old bowl or pan. Next paint it on your rocks, sculpture or concrete objects with an old paintbrush. Place your mossed garden art in your yard or garden and keep the piece lightly moist by misting it. Take care not to wash the mixture off while the moss mix is rooting and starting to grow.
Moss grows naturally in patches, likes the North side of objects, and takes readily to cracks and crevices. It will prefer a shady area, rock gardens or shade gardens.
If you use this moss formula in shady gardens and in moist locations you will probably have moss on your garden statues and landscape rocks in a few weeks.
Add a few annual flowers near the moss art and you will have an instant focal point in your gardens and backyard
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