I've always loved mosses and lichens and could never understand that there are products in garden centers that are meant to eradicate them!
In my garden, they are more than welcome, I even do anything to encourage them to grow, in creating ideal conditions for them.
They belong to the same mysterious fairy tale world of ferns, mushrooms and lichens.
They combine so well with stones in giving a friendly soft touch to their hardness.
Another one
and one more
A natural moss landscape! Picture was taken in Wistman's -wood Dartmoor by my brother on one of his Great Britain trips.
Yes, absolutely! I've always been fascinated by these plants. I remember studying moss reproduction in my biology class at school and a field trip we went on to see them in habitat.
On a recent trip to Acadia National Park in Maine I saw some gorgeous lichens - the trees there were dripping with them.
Lots of mosses too..
One more..
I love them as well! When we started studying them in Biol. class this semester I was in "heaven". I have so many pix and they are so interesting! And all these pix are Great! & Lush!
Joey
Yep, Me too. When my son was pretty young he brought me a "present" from the woods behind our house. It was a sheet of moss which we planted in my Woodsy flower bed. Here's a picture of the woods behind our house. Holly
bonitin and others, these are great pics. I'm doing everything to encourage Mosses, Lichen, Ferns, Mushrooms, Hostas, Epimediums, Hellebores. I have a lot of shade so they have all the right conditions. Jim
bonitin, wonderful thread! I've always been fascinated with mosses and lichens. Years ago when I had a collection of bonsai, I used stumps of fallen trees with moss/lichen...sawed the tops to make a 'tabletop' and used them to display the bonsai against the rich green of the woodlands behind them. Then I collected various mosses and lichens from the woods, added interesting rocks and made a moss 'mosaic' at the base of the logs to start my moss garden. My only regret...that was before I had a digital camera and I have no photos for memories :(
I know I have moss photos somewhere, but these are a few I could easily find to share. Taken at Beartown in West Virginia - an incredible place to visit - wooden planking and steps built into the rock formations and lots of moss!
more green
and more...
kniphofia, this one reminds me of Maine... where the ferns and moss grow together on the rocks everywhere :)
last one for this morning - a striking combination of moss and Goodyera
Rcn, Those are some gorgeous pix! I Love them! Is Beartown close to Black Water Falls? I've heard of it, but never been there. I'll have to look it up & take a trip! :-D
Goodyera is so unique, but it can surely make me itch! It grows well in a pot, but I have learned to wear gloves!
Joey
Joey, learn something new every day! I never realized that Beartown was a State Park! http://www.beartownstatepark.com/
I love this thread!
Here are a couple of close up pics of moss.
And the other of the spore capsules.
Rcn, I had no idea! either! Droop Mountain Battlefield is 1 1/2 hours (at most) from my house & have been there many times! (just north of Lewisburg) & I've been to Watoga State Park which is close by. Well...I have! to go now! :-D
Kniphofia, that is a Great pic of the liverwort! There aren't pix that good in my Biol. text book! Perfect Gemma cup! (asexual reproduction!)
A gametophyte of moss...
Joey
I love mosses and lichens too and spend ages looking on the floor of a woodland and at branches of trees. Must hunt some photos out and post them here. I recently visited a friends garden who wanted some advice - she had a fantastic stone wall covered in moss and ferns and she'd considered hosing it down to get rid of the moss. Obviously I told her to leave it exactly as it was!
I've always loved mosses and lichen and mushrooms, too. I have moss growing on its own in spots. How can I encourage it to spread? Is it true that mosses like acidic soil? I think my backyard soil tends toward acidity, though I've never tested it. Is there a natural way to make the soil more acidic? Thanks.
Gorgeous thread, I am enjoying these pictures. If I would have come across the mossy spot with the sprinklings of Goodyeras, I would have had a heart attack! This is special!
Lovely pictures!
I'm so happy to meet so many moss and the like-lovers!
Notgrnjean,
The majority of mosses do indeed require more or less acidic conditions, but there are also species that love a more alkaline substrate.
I can advise you a very interesting book for true moss-lovers;
'Moss gardening; including Lichens, Liverworts and other Miniatures' of George Schenk. In there one can find recipes how to grow mosses, the conditions the different types demand etc..
Galanthophile,
I hope your friend now realises how lucky she is with such a rich wall !
I was just imagining, inspired by your name, how beautiful snowdrops must look in a bed of moss!
Wonderful place you've found ,rcn 48, it reminds me of an area in Luxembourg, which also has these intriguing rock formations, covered with lush moss and fern vegetation, that gives you the sense of being catapulted into primeval times.
In the case of Luxembourg these strange carvings were created by an ancient gigantic and violent river millions of years ago.
bonitin, there is actually an ancient river near by ( New River) which is over 300,000 years old.
Is this a good time to "throw in" a little fungus? I love these....they're on my little acre.
bonitin, I'll look for the book ,thanks for posting that, Jim
I have persuaded my friend to treasure her moss covered wall! Yes I love my snowdrops :) Nearly time for them to bloom. The only place I have too much moss is in my lawn but I try and rake it up at this time of year to use in pot arrangements like hyacinths and dwarf bulbs that are on display indoors.
Thank you, bonitin. I think I just may have to gift myself a book soon.
Lovely fungi pic! I find them fascinating too. Let's have some more photos!
Ann I'm glad your friend has seen sense about her treasure wall!
Here's a pic I took at Acadia National Park of fungi on a birch tree.
You have a great looking pic! of shelf fungus & foliose lichen!
kniphofia, here ya go....
This is great! Thanks for starting the thread! I am from California and we get some nice Mosses here BUT I am sooo glad to her they do so well in Maine. I bought a piece of property there a few years ago and the plan is to retire there and I am glad to hear I will be able to play with moss and lichen there. Wonderful!
Got the Schenk book. Very good.
Brian
This message was edited Dec 24, 2006 12:23 PM
Hello Everybody!
Brand new to Mosses, Lichen and Liverworts but am loving the subject.
Am reading the Schenk book (good price for used on Amazon) and am learning much. Have several types of Moss and Lichen growing around the property but haven't a clue as to which ones they are. Can anyone help with identification?
Haven't read yet about Lichen too much. Can the type shown in photos just be removed from the fence it grows on and placed elsewhere?
Thanks and a very Merry Christmas and a Bright New Year to all.
Brian
Are these spore pods? How do I go about using them?
I.D. please?
I.D. please? Going to try the "crumbling" method w/ these.
. I.D. please?
This message was edited Dec 24, 2006 12:45 PM
I.D. please?
Almost the last one!! I.D. please?
This message was edited Dec 24, 2006 12:51 PM
