In our garden, the winter rains cause the greening of the moss. Over the years our small lawn has been replaced by various mosses. Most of the year the moss is dry and brown with a few stray blades of grass poking through. Moss covers the brick stairway and rock garden, decorates the planters, and crops up between the stepping stones. Within days of the first rain, the moss turns green and lush.
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| Moss strewn with camellia petals. |
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| Moss lined stone pavers. |
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Moss is frequently used in Japanese gardens by design. My husband and I visited the Butchart garden in Victoria one October, and were taken with the use of moss in the Japanese garden. The moss-covered forest had a magical quality to it. Moss thrives in moist climates, like the Pacific Northwest, but can thrive for a short season in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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| Moss covered rock garden. |
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| Mossy back yard. |
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Mosses are non-vascular plants in the Bryophyta family of land plants. They are herbaceous, small, absorb moisture through leaves and stems, use photosynthesis to produce nutrients, and reproduce through spores. Many prefer shade and acidic soil, require moisture to reproduce, and can survive desiccation for months.
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