Cultivating moss!

josusa47

I'm making a flower border where my veg patch was, and it has a lovely beech tree growing in it.  The area around the tree is quite damp in winter because the overflow from a rain butt empties into the soil. It's south facing so dry in summer.  So I thought a good use for the area would be a woodland glade.  I've ordered native bluebells, wood anemones and fritillaria meleagris, and bought some ferns.  I've numerous rough lumps of local limestone which I'm going to place in a circle round the tree to define the space.  Is there anything I can do to encourage mosses, liverwort, lichens and fungi on the soil and stones?

madpenguin

If the conditions are right they will come of their own accord 

Buttercupdays

Some information here

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/moss/propagating-moss.htm

Buttercupdays

Some information here

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/moss/propagating-moss.htm

I think I might try this under my oak tree. There is a little moss growing, fairly slowly., this may help speed things up.

Unforunately, to be economical, may have to make muffins with the rest of the buttermilk

Buttercupdays

Found this website, much more info:

http://www.mossandstonegardens.com/blog/how-to-grow-moss/

Sadly,it vetoes the buttermilk

josusa47

Thanks Buttercup, that's really helpful.

L3iH

You could post on Freecycle / Freegle asking for moss from local gardeners. I've just started trying to grow all the moss raked out of my (postage stamp) lawn in one place but I expect most people will just want to get rid of it.

If you're near south London, you can buy boxes of sheet moss at New Covent Garden market for about a fiver (slightly more for cushion moss). I've only had mine a month or two so I'm not sure how long it will stay green; the seller told me it wouldn't grow but so far it's held the colour fairly well.

http://newcoventgardenmarket.com/

https://www.ilovefreegle.org

http://freecycle.org

josusa47

Thanks L3iH, that's a brilliant suggestion.  I'm an enthusiastic Freecycler, but I wouldn't have thought of asking for moss!  I did think of using my own lawn rakings, and I've just bought a new rake for the purpose.  Covent Garden isn't an option as I live in North Wales and avoid London like the plague.  I've never looked at Freegle, I'll give it a go.

Dovefromabove

Josusa ... I knew I'd read something that would interest you ... I've been searching for it and at last I've found it 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenstovisit/11185417/Windy-Hall-an-enchanted-garden-where-moss-is-boss.html 

Hope it helps