The soil around your plants doesn't always give you the attractive look you're going for, and mulch doesn't usually offer much in the way of decoration. Using moss can help, serving as mulch for container plants or small flower beds while covering the soil and giving you a natural, woodsy feel.
Originally harvested from trees in warm, moist areas, Spanish moss is usually dried and used to decorate around plants, particularly container plants. Its thin, curly fibers intertwine to create a natural soil covering, and the light gray color blends well with any greenery or flower color. Using a 2- to 3-inch layer of Spanish moss helps the soil stay moist after you water it.
You can buy sheet moss alive or dried, and it retains its green to green-gold coloring when used to decorate around your plants. It's often seen around the base of orchids, helping to add to the feeling that you're lost in a tropical oasis when you're surrounded by your flowers. The moss is typically flat and should only be used in a single layer. Use it only in well-draining locations and pots because it tends to hold more moisture in the soil than other types of moss. Reindeer moss is similar to sheet moss, but it has more texture and height and is usually a lighter green color.
Mats of dried moss serve several purposes around your plants. Because the mats are large, they work well in your flower beds to surround perennials. You can cut the mats to fit any shape. Moss mats help hide unattractive containers as well because they are flexible enough to surround nearly any shape, and most glue on easily with craft glue. Cover window boxes, planters or rocks with pieces of a moss mat to add to the natural look of your space. Moss mats range in color from light gray to dark green.
Decorating the area around your plants doesn't have to mean leaving the moss in its natural form. Instead, create eye-catching shapes to draw attention to your plants and your landscape design. Glue moss around small- to medium-sized foam balls or foam cones turned upside down to add instant interest in your planting area. For larger pieces, create a form out of wire, such as chicken wire, in the shape of your choice, ranging from a simple cone or topiary to the shape of an animal. Stuff the frame with sphagnum moss and cover it with live sheet moss, then water it about once a week. The sheet moss hides the metal frame and uses the sphagnum moss as a growing medium.
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