Avant-gardening?
June 2, 2010 11:35 AM   Subscribe

I am fascinated by these indoor moss panels, but the instructions accompanying this project are a little vague...and I want to see more!

Will any old moss harvested from outside survive transplant? Do I sort of 'slice' off a layer of dirt and moss, or delicately scrape off just the plant material? Could this cause bug-problems in an already ant-infested house? Google has only yielded results for aquarium/terrarium sorts of projects.
I'm also very curious about other directions projects like this could take. What other non-traditional/sculptural/do-it-yrself gardening methods have you seen or had experience with? Artists who work in related mediums?
posted by supernaturelle to Home & Garden (9 answers total) 24 users marked this as a favorite
 
I imagined just buying sheet moss from your local hardware store's garden department. Should be relatively easy to follow the directions from there, right?

Sound like a fun idea though. Thanks! :D
posted by Lizsterr at 11:52 AM on June 2, 2010


I imagine that you'd have to maintain a certain moisture level to keep it green. Spraying a frame on the wall might not be a great idea.
posted by mareli at 12:05 PM on June 2, 2010


Best answer: I'm a bit of a moss experimenter and this is what I've learned over a few years of making moss terrariums [mossariums].... moss is fickle. I'm having a really hard time even seeing how the things on readymade would actually work. I assume the top parts would dry out and it would be hard to give it enough water and have it not drip. I mean I'm sure you can build them in the manner described, but I can't imagine that they'd live long. This is how you build a moss terrarium. Pay special attention to the comments by rkr who is a moss expert and who I've been exchanging emails with on and off. The big deal with moss is light [not too much] moisture [more than you'd think] and ph [hard to control for, should match the moss's native habitat].

To answer your questions. Some moss will survive and some won't and I've found that the spongy moss tends to do worse than the flatter mosses [sorry for being so inexact]. This is unlikely to cause bug problems. And yeah you'd need to get some of whatever the moss is growing on in addition to the moss itself, this is where the moss gets nutrients from. If you want to go this route, I'd suggest getting more of a terrarium type of setup and getting a whole big mossy log and tossing it in your place somewhere. A little more controlled and a little easier to keep damp.

Other fun options include moss paint or go all out and put up a Victorian-style mossery.
posted by jessamyn at 12:07 PM on June 2, 2010 [7 favorites]


Go for the moss paint mentioned above. It seems easier and also cooler.
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:26 PM on June 2, 2010


That description in the link could definitely do with a few diagrams! If I may piggyback on, Jamaro do you think its feasible that wall panels using the LFS moss would do well in a bathroom?
posted by Joh at 12:27 PM on June 2, 2010


I came in to suggest the moss paint solution. Slate roofing tile, paint with milk, leave outside until you start getting growth. I haven't tried it, but that's where I'd start. (I'd be hoping to get single specimens of flat mosses rather than all-over coverage, which is why I wouldn't blend moss into the paint. YMMV.)
posted by Leon at 1:31 PM on June 2, 2010


(After Googling, I think I'm talking about lichens rather than mosses, which isn't what you want at all. I doubt a moss would be able to adhere to clean slate).
posted by Leon at 1:40 PM on June 2, 2010


Here's an idea if you'd like to use the regular moss you find outside that needs to be wet all of the time: moss waterfall!

Perhaps you could rig up a system like this where the moss is kept constantly moist by the waterfall.
posted by talkingmuffin at 2:07 PM on June 2, 2010


showbiz_liz: "Go for the moss paint mentioned above. It seems easier and also cooler."

I agree. Ever since I heard about the "moss milk" from Bill Nye, many years ago (I wish I could find a clip!), I've wanted to try this.
posted by Gordafarin at 8:38 PM on June 2, 2010


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