Musing About Moss

I have a confession: I have done absolutely nothing about the moss in my garden this year. I told Threadspider as much last week when we were admiring the patterns the moss is making in the block paving drive outside her house. It's similar in effect to the the scene pictured above from my patio, except hers is more on the diagonal.

This damascene conversion came about when I closely inspected the gravel path in the back garden early this year. A limey clay soil underneath the gravel (no membrane installed) which is waterlogged over winter and shaded for much of the day means moss is pretty much inevitable. Up close and personal it's rather beautiful, so I decided to let it stay for once and it's a lot less work as a result. I felt rather smug when Dan Pearson extolled the virtues of moss at the Hay Festival in May.

I've also let it remain in my lawn: so mine was the only one to remain green in our neighbourhood during September's drought. Patio crack infills? Yes, the moss has been allowed to stay there too. It means I'll have less dry mortar infilling to do: that job's always felt rather like Atlas rolling the stone up the hill anyway. Another type's colonising all the path edging bricks and looks like a green shaggy fur. That's fine. I'm feeling all chilled out and rather zen as a result of my change of heart.

NAH's agreed it all looks rather good, especially at this time of the year - he said it's winter interest for the patio - that was without any prompting from me either :o

However, these feelings of garden bliss do not extend to the moss on our front drive :(

Have you made any drastic changes in the way you look after your garden this year?

Comments

  1. Victoria Summerley17 November 2009 at 20:17

    I haven't really made any drastic changes this year. I've given up planting bulbs though - I just plant potted daffodils in spring. It's always either too dry or too late!
    But I'm delighted to hear you extolling the virtues of moss. I love the springy feel of it under bare feet as you walk across the lawn in summer.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The bike shed17 November 2009 at 21:41

    The wall in my garden in Wales (I live there about half the time even though I'm in Chippenham too) is covered in lichen. It needs painting but I can't bring myself to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anna17 November 2009 at 22:03

    Glad that you are enjoying the moss VP. I've always had a laisser- faire attitude to it - tell myself that I am providing excellent raw material for the birds come nesting time. No drastic changes here but I have had more time to enjoy being in the garden and allotment:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous17 November 2009 at 22:57

    We love your moss conversion, VP. But agree that it should not be left on surfaces where people or vehicles could slip and slide on it. Glad to hear it is considered au courant! Drastic change? Not cleaning up the garden, and loving it! So much of interest, colorful foliage, browns and tans are also colors. It will hold frost nicely for even more interest later on too. And way to go for NAH!!!
    Frances

    ReplyDelete
  5. Send Flowers to Jakarta18 November 2009 at 08:49

    That was a really good post... thanks a lot for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sylvia (England)18 November 2009 at 12:13

    I love moss, there was always a lot about on our farm and surrounding woods as a child. As long as it doesn't make a surface slippery I have always welcomed it in my gardens. We made big changes at the beginning of the year, taking out two small lawns and replacing with gravel and flowerbeds. Being free of the lawn mower in this area has been lovely.

    Best wishes Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  7. Joanne18 November 2009 at 22:01

    Moss is lovely in the right place. Mike collected some to plant on the bricks along the edge of the trough and they look so much better.

    ReplyDelete

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