A few mounds of moss have started to grow on my garden walls. I never thought I’d see the day – the walls seemed too clean, too sterile, when I moved in...
A few mounds of moss have started to grow on my garden walls. I never thought I’d see the day – the walls seemed too clean, too sterile, when I moved in two years ago. But I'm delighted - I always hoped moss would find my shady, damp garden, and the walls already look so much better.
I love the way moss colonises new spaces, greening roofs and walls that would otherwise remain bare. Along with other 'pioneer species' such as algae, liverworts, lichens and some ‘weeds’, moss takes advantage of the lack of competition from taller plants, creating new habitats for invertebrates and ultimately a growing medium for tree seedlings. It's a good reminder of the transience of everything – that whatever we do to the land, no matter how tall or magnificent the buildings, nature will reign eventually.
There are more than 600 species of moss in the UK. Some are suited to growing in lawns, while others form on hard surfaces, like paths, greenhouse glazing, walls and garden ornaments. They take different forms, from large tufts to compact cushions. Such cushions are developing nicely on my walls; viewed under a magnifying glass they look like miniature trees.
Lawn mosses in particular are not usually tolerated in gardens. Because they thrive in shady, damp conditions, they can compete with grass in poorly drained lawns. But viewed differently, lawn moss can be incredibly useful. Use it to line hanging baskets, rather than buying sphagnum moss (which may have been harvested from peat bogs). It makes fine nesting material for bumblebees (you’ll need to gather it yourself and pop in a dry corner of the garden), while birds will readily take it to line their nests.
The moss of hard surfaces is usually more welcome in gardens (though it can make paths slippery and stop light reaching plants if growing on greenhouse panes). Its ability to colonise new spaces has been exploited by gardeners for years, helping to give an aged appearance to walls and ornaments. To encourage moss to form, some gardeners make solutions using organic matter, beer or natural yoghurt blended up with bits of moss, and paint them on the desired area. I've not tried this before, so come spring, I'll harvest some of my moss cushions and blend them with compost and natural yoghurt. Then I'll paste the solution on my garden walls. Fingers crossed it won't be long before my miniature moss trees become a grand forest.
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