Making and Loving Moss recipe {plus a sneak of wedding plans}
Monday, December 12, 2011
The love affair with woodlands has no known beginning for me. I have always been drawn to Ferns, forests, Moss and creek beds. Something of recent has brought me to step into a direction of incorporating them into our home. I have tried to raise ferns which seem to not favor our interior environment of old homes. In winter, they always die off. I will try again soon but my topic today is MOSS! Soft luxurious green moss with their irresistible earthy appeal.
The love of moss is everywhere! Once I began looking for it, I noticed it is almost everywhere I go. Why, just check out this link for Wow adoration on Green Graffiti. Moss is amazing and rather GREEN for so many uses.
So what has brought this on of late? I am planning a wedding! Not mine but a dearest friends. We are so similar in our likes and ways plus she has asked I be a bridesmaid as well as help plan this wedding. So of course I jumped feet first and loving every minute of it. The feel is so very hard to describe being most hear "hippie" and it's just not the same as her vision. Semi casual, earthy, outdoor and intimate are just a few words I would use. With a twist of Bohemian romance & woodland feel.
Now the moss comes into play where decor is needed. I have it in my head to whip up some troughs of various wood and cement structures to grow and fill out for setting around the outdoor reception. centerpieces as well. Like this one:
and this one:
Moss is easy to whip up with a decent backyard source like mine and plenty of time {a year and a half} to tend to their growth. I have found 2 ways to grow it. {Share Courtesy of About.com in gardening by Marie Iannotti}
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1. The easiest way to get a patch of moss started is to take a piece from somewhere else and move it. Rake and scratch the surface of the soil you’re going to be putting it on, so that the filaments make good contacts. Wet the are and lay the moss on top of it. Press is well into the soil. It even helps if you pin it in place or put some light rocks on it to anchor it. Newly transplanted moss will need to be kept moist for the first few weeks. You can tell you moss as taken when it doesn’t lift with a light tug.
It’s probably wise to take your transplant moss from a similar surface to minimize transplant problems.
How to Get Moss to Grow on Rocks, Bricks or Pots
It’s a little harder to start moss on a rock by simply lifting it and moving it. To grow moss on rocks, bricks or pots, many people have luck cultivating moss by mixing it with buttermilk and painting it on the new surface.Moss Making Recipe:
- 2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups of chopped-up moss (Fresh or Dried)
Mix until creamy and spreadable. If the mixture is too thick, add a small amount of water. If it’s too thin, add more moss.
Paint the mixture onto the new surface. You can allow the mixture to sit for a day or two, to start the process. You may get mold first, but by about week 6 you should see signs of moss.
**To keep your moss growing well, you need to maintain ideal moss conditions: shade, moisture and a low soil pH. You’ll also need to keep the weeds out. Moss can’t compete for moisture with the roots of weeds.
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The love for Ferns and woodlands come into play with this easy idea of slicing a log for the cake stand! Perfect even after a wedding. Fern fronds laid about to pull it together. Wonder what cake she will decide on...
What is a Natural setting event without some Homemade favors! Wild Blackberries are abundant {and free} around me & her Mum. Perfect to go with the dark purple flowers she has her heart set on. I must keep my eye out for sales on decorative canning jars. Really do not want to use the everyday kind for such a special piece. I do believe she will adore the label with this idea as well.
The other piece of decor I have set my eyes on long ago when we first discussed her getting married...Chandeliers! Grapevines with moss tidbits and wild grasses. Votives in glass holders secured between the hanging apparatus {not sure if we would use heavy duty rustic rope or rusted chains} for hanging in the canopy dining tents.
So be prepared for much more woodland love coming from this chick. Oh, and I have yet to mention I am planting that back garden I gave up on/downsized from, outside the picket fence, in cutting flowers. Beyond Frogs little strip of flowers I had mentioned previously. Nope. We are going to Market this next summer! Looks like long stem Sweet peas will be one of my main growers. White Willow, the Bride, may be using the DARK purple Sweet peas in her wedding too. This year is the trial garden and I have been devouring so much beauty on this endeavor.... Reneesgarden.com has been seeing A LOT of traffic from this house.
I am succumbing to a sore throat and must hop off to the herb store for lozenge ingredients. This time I am adding lemon extract...and hiding them from the kids. They are THAT good.
Sweet Dreams,
~Tammie
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