garden goodness: make a moss garden

Is it spring yet? 

It can be, somewhere inside your home.
Even if there is still 5 feet of snow outside.

All you need is a moss garden! 

Here's what to do:

1. Gather up your supplies

• Moss:: I collected my own out in the woods, but there are a number of Etsy sellers that will sell you some.  Look for clean, bright green, healthy stuff.
• A container:: I upcycled a glass fishbowl for the container, plus a pretty glass plate to use as a lid, both found at a thrift store.
• Gravel and pretty rocks::  Can be found in a riverbed or try using aquarium gravel from the pet store.
• Potting soil:: No special requirements. The moss does not need soil to grow. It's more for looks and sculpting hills.
• A sweet ceramic bunny figurine:: I upcycled mine from a thrift store.

2. Add about 1 inch of gravel to the container.

3. Cut out a small circle of upcycled netting 

or wire mesh to fit on top of gravel. 

 This keeps potting soil from seeping down into the gravel. 

 

 4. Add about an inch of potting soil and pat it down.  

You can make little hills and valleys if you want.

5. Add clumps of moss. 

Just set them on top of the soil. 

Leave a space in the middle for your figurine.

 6. Add a few pretty stones around and about.

7. Give the moss of gentle mist of water. 
 Saturate the moss, but don't make the soil sopping wet.

8.Then introduce Mr. Bunny to his new home.

[ He likes it! ]

I found a little pretend ladybug to add.

[He likes it even better!]

9. Add your lid and place your container where it will not be in direct sunlight.

10. Enjoy your little slice of Spring Heaven!

[Notes::  Moss needs air circulation to thrive, so remove the lid for a little while every few days.  Also, if too much condensation appears on the inside of the container at any time, remove the lid to let the environment dry out a bit.  Mist the moss about once a week, more or less depending on how warm your home might be. Moss does have a life span and will not live forever.  Remove any browning or mildewy looking moss immediately and replace with fresh moss]