Holiday

[Oznell]

If you like plants, but have low-light areas where a touch of greenery would be just right, 'preserved moss' is an interesting option since it needs no maintenance.  It's soft and looks like living moss!   (This moss below reminds me a little of broccoli, ha.)

So, instead of using it just as a 'mulch' for your indoor plants or trees, it can be used on its own.  

It's a way to to revitalize some of your decor, too.  I have some decorative bowls--  ceramic, wood, metal--  that I've filled with moss as a summer touch.

Important note--  The inexpensive preserved moss I've used is not food-safe, so I can't put it where my cats could get at it and potentially nibble.   However, there is now "food-grade" preserved moss available, which is ideal if you have pets or children.

Preserved moss is everywhere, at Walmart, Target, Michael's, etc., due to the popularity of plants and various crafts. There are so many varieties--  reindeer, Spanish, etc.  I get 'sheet' moss or 'forest' moss, in a soft green-  I do not like bright, fluorescent green!

I think you either like the look, or you don't.  Personally, I'm not fond of "moss balls" --  yet, the unruly look of just soft, amorphous moss, spilling over a vessel, takes me out to a forest, in a good way...

In recent years, using moss this way has been popularized by places like Restoration Hardware.   But it's a low-key look that fits seamlessly with traditional and eclectic interiors too.

Right now I have some (safely inaccessible to my cats) in a rustic white wire apothecary jar, and mounded up in my vintage embossed Portuguese terra cotta bowl.  Both are in areas where natural light does not reach,  and give a subtle suggestion of the outdoors.  

[ValuSkr]

Moss is also a good groundcover for your bonsai plants.  I've gotten it started two ways: either (1) by transplanting live moss from the ground or (2) by leaving the plant outside for the summer.  In the latter case, moss will likely grow naturally if the soil in the pot is regularly wet and conditions are shady.

[phoenixbrd]

@Oznell   I adore the moss in the wooden bowl.  We RV camped at one of my favorite national parks....Fontainebleau in LA.  The hiking trails are ethereal....heavily wooded with trees draped with moss towering over the trails and alive with the sound of birds and croaking frogs.  There is an old sugar mill from 1829 on the grounds.  My favorite tree ever is an old majestic oak tree in this park that almost covers a city block.  I collected some moss and my husband found the perfect piece of a fallen branch as I want to carve a staff from this tree.

Thank you for this insightful post on moss that is highly underrated.

[Mom2Dogs]

I use moss in and around arrangements to fill in empty spots...I like the texture and color. The Reindeer moss is nice as well.

[Oznell]

@ValuSkr,  @phoenixbrd ,  @Mom2Dogs ,  nice to hear from other moss appreciators!

Wow, @phoenixbrd ,  your account of the Louisiana park is mesmerizing.  When I lived in New Orleans, I didn't get out to the deep countryside that much, not having a car, but when I did,  was impressed by the green, the massive trees and moss as you describe.  That park sounds positively primeval, in a hauntingly memorable way,  and it's no wonder that you were so struck by it...