My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

Encouraging Moss and Lichen to grow on a design

Moss and Lichen feed on dust and ambient moisture. It is actually a good sign to see them appear- it means you do not live in an area with high air pollution. The lower the air quality the less likely the growth of moss and lichen.

Remove a clump of moss and clean as much soil as possible without breaking up the clump or damaging the spores

Dip a clump of moss in yogurt. Make sure you saturate the clump. The ratio of moss to yogurt is not really important

You can also add honey to the yogurt, or mix beer and sugar or use buttermilk- but I find the yogurt moss mixture works just fine all on it’s own

Paint the twig wreath with yogurt using the moss as a brush. This will transfer the spores onto the twigs.

Dab and wiggle the moss as you go along

This method will also work on concrete pots

and terrecotta pots

Or fill cracks in concrete slabs. Just dip the moss in the yogurt

And fill the cracks

In fact any porous, rough surface that retains water will grow moss. It takes a while though, if all goes well I will see the moss appearing on my wreath within ten days but it can take up to a month to have real growth.

Choose the right location for your moss garden. It needs natural light but a shady, damp position is best. Just emulate nature.

This time of year is best for starting a moss garden. It needs to be cool and wet. Lichen and moss becomes dormant when it is too hot and dry.

Protect the moss-yogurt mixture from rain so that it doesn’t wash away. Mist the area regularly and cover with a plastic bag if necessary.

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