We're undertaking a new journey and invite you to join us. We're neophyte bryophyte explorers. We've always been fascinated by mosses. Living in the woods in Maine, a perfect environment for mosses, Prentiss became more aware of and began reading about them as she considered a change of focus in her gardens. She brought them inside to look at and live with. Recognizing how fascinating they are and how much fun they are to observe, she began making moss container gardens for friends. Now, through Mainely Moss Gardens, we offer them to you as well, along with pocket gardens for your landscape.
Mosses, known as bryophytes, are single-celled plants that pre-date the dinosaurs and are far older than vascular plants, having evolved over 390 million years ago. There are more than 15,000 species worldwide. Liverworts and hornworts are also bryophytes, though considerably fewer in number.
Mosses can't regulate water content inside their cells, so when the environment is dry they can't hold water and dry fairly quickly. This is compensated for by their high water-retention capacity, enabling them to tolerate dehydration without physiological damage, sometimes for weeks, depending on the species. They rehydrate almost immediately. Sphagnum moss, for example, can hold 16 to 26 times its dry weight in water within its cells.
When dry, they go into a state of dormancy, curling up their leaves and slowing down their metabolic processes. When moisture returns, they quickly revive, demonstrating an incredible resilience that has allowed mosses to persist in even the harshest environments.
Most mosses grow in shade or part shade, though there are some that thrive in sun. They are easy to grow, and once established, long lasting. They can be walked on, and in fact, walking on mosses helps them to attach to their substrate, though preferably in soft-soled shoes and not with heavy traffic.
There are two types of mosses. Acracarpous are upright growing mosses, seeming either to have individual plants or growing as tufts or cushions. Pleurocarpous are mat-forming mosses, intertwining and hugging the substrate on which they grow. They are often called a carpet moss for that reason.
Despite their small size, mosses play vital roles in their ecosystems. They are among the first organisms to colonize bare or disturbed areas, paving the way for other plants to establish themselves. They also contribute to soil formation and moisture retention, creating favorable conditions for other organisms to thrive, and reminding us of the intricate interconnectedness on earth of all species.
Mosses differentiate themselves from flowering plants and trees by not doing certain things. They don't anchor themselves with roots. They don't germinate from seeds. And, they don't move water and nutrients through a system of internal vessels.
Mosses anchor themselves with small tufts of rootlike structures known as rhizoids. A simple stem supports the leaves, which are spirally arranged along the stem. They're usually lance-shaped with a pointed tip and are seldom more than one cell thick.
The stem and leaves, collectively known as the gametophyte, house the reproductive parts of both male and female plants. Emerging from the tops of female gametophytes are sporophytes, thin stalks called a seta that support capsules. On the seta is the operculum. If the capsule is fertilized, it will produce spores, the equivalent of seeds found in flowering plants and trees. As the capsule dries out and matures, the operculum opens and releases spores that are carried by the wind. In the right conditions, the spores will germinate and grow into new gametophytes.
Mosses absorb water and nutrients from air and water. The water and minerals move into the leaves and stems and are transported through cells or between cells, depending on the type of moss. The water enters the leaves where photosynthesis occurs. The plant uses carbon dioxide and water along with sunlight to produce sugar and oxygen. The oxygen is released into the air and the sugar combines with minerals to form substances that help the plant to grow and reproduce. New moss plants are also produced asexually when small pieces break off from the main bunch and grow into new plants.
Many mosses are found on our Maine property. All that are used in our moss container and pocket gardens are sustainably harvested from ours and neighboring properties.
These are some we use:
- Broomfork Moss (mood moss)
- Feather Moss
- Wavy Broom Moss
- Greater Forkmoss
- Boulder Broom Moss (another mood moss)
- Red Stemmed Feather Moss
- Cushion Moss
- Juniper Haircap Moss
- Common Haircap Moss
- Sphagnum Moss
- Brocade/ Hypnum (aka Sheet Moss)
- Delicate Fern Moss
- Twisted Moss
- American Tree Moss
- Byrum Moss
- Shiny Seductive Moss
We plan to add photographs and more information about the individual mosses we use in container and pocket gardens.
Please join us on this very interesting journey as we expand our knowledge while promoting the beneficial uses of mosses. While we don't install moss lawns, large or small, we do encourage you to look into this environmentally friendly option in place of all or part of your turf lawn. You could start with a pocket garden.
