Mountain Moss — Uncategorized
Moss Gardening Book 0
It's time to spread the moss word. So, I'm ready to write my first moss gardening book entitled, The Magical Realm of Eco-friendly Mosses – A Practical Guide to Moss Gardening Projects. My book will provide insights into the aesthetic, botanical and environmental reasons for choosing mosses which will distinguish it in the marketplace. Written in a conversational style that will appeal to the lay person, this easy-to-read guide will serve as a valuable reference to gardeners, landscapers, environmentalists, and educators around the world. Enhanced by impressive color photographs, the book will be published in a variety of eBook formats as well as a soft-bound cover version.
Growing Interest in MOSSES
As people have become more environmentally-conscious, there has been a growing interest in mosses. These amazing plants are not only beautiful with their year-round green but they offer solutions to environmental concerns of groundwater contamination, erosion control, and reducing air pollution. Because of their unique botanical characteristics, mosses require NO chemicals – NO fertilizers, NO pesticides, and NO herbicides – in contrast to common practices used in traditional landscaping and lawn maintenance.
It has been a challenge for gardeners to move beyond myths and generalizations about these miniature plants and to proceed with proven methods for success that are bryophyte specific. Indeed, all mosses don't just live on the north side or in the shade. In fact, there are many types that even tolerate sun exposures. Many people have expressed interest in the publication of a moss book that highlights a variety of innovative and sustainable approaches for “greening” our urban environments.
The Magical Realm of Eco-friendly Mosses will fill an information void on topics not covered in current books and address key questions left unanswered. By promoting the benefits of mosses as a horticultural choice and providing expert planting advice, this book will enable people to embrace these fascinating plants! Mossin' Annie will demonstrate how mosses can be featured in innovative designs, sustainable landscapes, moss lawns, living walls and green roofs.
Want To Learn More about My Moss Gardening Book?
This blog post is a summary of my book project. Visit www.indiegogo.com to learn more about our fundraising campaign where a short proposal is posted for potential donors to review. We'll keep our Indiegogo.com contributors posted with regular updates so that you can follow our book progress. If you still want to learn more, a detailed project proposal can be found right here on www.mountainmoss.com.
Indiegogo.com http://www.indiegogo.com/Mossin-Annies-Moss-Gardening-Book?a=288358&i=addr
YouTube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8IDcTE56Zc&feature=player_embedded
Mountain Moss.com http://mountainmoss.com/home/moss-book/
Spreading the MOSS Word
We'll appreciate all of your gifts and any efforts on your part to promote our Indiegogo fundraising campaign. Contributions will be used to proceed with writing this valuable reference and publishing it in eBook formats as well as a soft cover print version. We have targeted Summer 2012 for the official book release date. If you'd like to suggest topics for inclusion in my book or offer moss gardening advice, please post your ideas on this Blog. By sharing this BLOG post or any of the above LINKS with your friends, you help us achieve our goals through one of the best marketing methods – “word of mouth.”
MOSSY Thanks
I am determined to promote the environmental value of mosses through a variety of avenues and maintain a positive vision. Publishing this moss gardening book is critical next step in our educational mission and desire to share the joys and advantages of mosses. THANKS for pitching in and believing in the value of my moss journey. Join my team of moss advocates and help make this book happen. DONATE NOW to our book campaign to help make it become a reality. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated.
GO GREEN WITH MOSS!
Mossin' Annie
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Sustainability: A Lush Life-WNC Magazine 0
MOSS IN THE MEDIA: Spreading the word about the benefits of mosses has been a focus of Mountain Moss Enterprises' educational outreach. Calling attention to the environmental advantages as well as their exceptional beauty is central to my moss mission in life. Through workshops, lectures, social networking and the media, we wave our "Go Green With Moss" flag. Thanks to WNC Magazine for publishing this feature article in their June 2011 issue entitled, Sustainability: A Lush Life. Creatively crafted words by Gary Carter and outstanding photographs by Patrick Cavan Brown emphasize the value of mosses in landscapes. These guys did a great job of capturing the essence of my moss message to others.
Annie Martin champions resilient mosses as the key to greener landscapes...
"It would be an understatement to describe Annie Martin, aka Mossin’ Annie, as passionate about moss. In fact, if you want to learn just about anything related to those soft green masses underfoot, ask Annie. Among the things you’ll quickly find out is that Martin admittedly isn’t a formally trained bryologist, but is a self-proclaimed “pure old moss lover,” who finds in each one a magical, miniature world.
She attributes her affection for mosses to a childhood spent in Asheville that included frequent camping trips and playing in her grandmother’s yard in the Kenilworth neighborhood. She recalls making terrariums in elementary school, and how that interest grew and evolved into her business, Mountain Moss Enterprises, which specializes in the design and installation of eco-friendly moss gardens and sustainable landscapes. Here in the mountains, Martin has a wealth of material with which to work.
Roughly 450 types of mosses thrive in Western North Carolina, a respectable representation of a species that dates back more than 450 million years. Bryophytes, Martin loves to point out, were in place 50 million years before any other plant, paving the way for other vegetation.
“They have watched every major climatic catastrophe occur on this planet,” she says. “They saw the dinosaurs come and go, and they’ll watch us come and go.”
Yet mosses are often overlooked, going unrecognized and unlabeled even in botanical gardens. And Martin finds it downright insulting that there isn’t a comprehensive field guide for bryophytes.
She is determined to raise their profile by educating others on the distinct features that make mosses exceptional. They have no roots, but rather filaments that anchor them to virtually any surface. Their leaves are not coated, enabling mosses to absorb water and nutrients through their entire surfaces. They don’t produce flowers or seeds, which means mosses are in a constant state of reproduction through spores. Even fragments can quickly become new plants. Proven survivors, bryophytes manage in nutrient-poor conditions, from acidic forest floors to concrete driveways. Mosses also tend to be resistant to extreme temperatures, producing an acid that acts like antifreeze and allows them to flourish even beneath snow and ice.
Martin has developed her knowledge over the last dozen years, and has come to the realization that she was born a “moss artist.” “I came to look at the land as my canvas and realized that my paints are the mosses—the textures, shapes, shades of green,” Martin explains.
Her insight combines self-attained scientific knowledge and curiosity. Over the years, she’s observed mosses in their natural state and introduced them into new landscapes to document growth patterns and uncover their horticultural uses. Her experiments confirmed her assumptions that not all mosses thrive only in shade as commonly believed; she found that some types tolerate partial sun and even like direct light. She now adamantly believes the key to keeping them healthy is proper moisture.
The increasing public interest in sustainability, Martin contends, may be the catalyst that finally boosts understanding and broad-based use of her beloved bryophytes.
So far, she sees many key audiences, such as environmental advocates, developers, land planners, and landscape architects, slowly gaining awareness of the plants’ eco-attributes and versatility. Mosses are showing up more frequently in living roofs and urban greening projects, and are finding respect in land reclamation and erosion control efforts.
Homeowners and landscapers can also use mosses as an alternative to mulch, since bryophytes allow water to soak through to the soil and provide a nurturing, lush green base instead of a drab brown layer that needs regular replenishment.
Imagine also a moss lawn that needs no chemicals or pesticides to flourish, requires a fraction of the water used for grass, never needs mowing, and is green year-round. Martin asserts that mosses could one day become a local cash crop like the turf grasses grown commercially in huge fields near her home in Pisgah Falls.
Martin reluctantly thinks of herself as a pioneer and an expert, but only after believing she’s done enough research and produced practical examples of sustainability.
But there’s something even beyond that: “I want people to recognize the value of mosses and how they’re good for the planet,” says Martin. “Then you also reap the spiritual benefits, the serenity we all want from our gardens.”
Article published in WNC Magazine, June 2011. Written by Gary Carter. Check out photos by Patrick Cavan Brown. His own fascination in my moss garden kept him shooting images on two different days.
READ MORE: http://www.wncmagazine.com/feature/sustainability/a_lush_life
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Moss Nursery–The Mountain MOSSERY 0
Mountain Moss is happy to announce expansion of our nursery operations – The MOUNTAIN MOSSERY! While Mountain Moss focuses our moss collection on rescues from high impact sites, we recognize the value of cultivating bryophytes for sustainable landscape applications. We have addressed issues of propagation and conducted our own research on growing all types of bryophytes with an emphasis on fast-growing types and those mosses that tolerate sun exposures. Our goal is to introduce new eco- moss options to environmentally-conscious homeowners, landscapers and green roofers.
In 2010, Mountain Moss Enterprises received a grant through the NC Tobacco Trust Fund, Western North Carolina Agricultural Options program. We proceeded to research container production and develop methodologies for cultivating mosses as a potential cash crop for small farmers that historically have been dependent on tobacco farming. The study included 20 kinds of mosses and liverworts, various substrates and supplemental watering regimes. No chemicals were used in production, and therefore, groundwater contamination was nil. While further horticultural research is indicated that is bryophyte specific, we have determined preliminary types and started to develop BMPs (best management practices).
As an aspiring entrepreneur with limited funds for research, I continue to take steps toward growing the moss industry in a responsible manner with emphasis on alternative energy sources and rainwater harvesting. “With a little help from our friends”... and family... we are determined to move forward. Thanks to Claire and Eric Stephenson for the use of their cold frame in Cedar Mountain during our first phase of nursery production. Now, MAJOR THANKS to Betsy Smith for sharing her land in Penrose as we move into our next phase of field production.
Mountain Moss is happy to announce the opening of our new nursery – The Mountain MOSSERY. We started setting up operations on Talley Road near Brevard this week. 
Dale, Leila and I looked like the “Beverly Hillbillies” moving in but in good spirit, the Three MOSSketeers worked hard and accomplished a lot. The site offers both shade and sun locations with a Northwest exposure. While we will rely upon a well and traditional power source initially, we hope to include alternative energy such as solar power and water supplies from rainwater harvesting, holding pond or the nearby mountain stream using a RAM pump in the future.
In addition to continued research, we are expanding field production areas and developing pre-vegetated moss mats. Our Mountain Moss Mats will make it easy to install a moss lawn or green roof. Our new site offers a tin roof for experimentation on BMPs regarding mosses for green roofs. We are committed to field-testing our concepts before they are formally introduced to the market place. Sustainability of moss applications can only be proved with successful results that last over time.
Our business approach is based upon principles of responsible land management that are environmentally-friendly and moss applications that will last for years to come. We are excited about this next step in distinguishing Mountain Moss as a premier supplier of quality LIVE mosses through our research and expertise in practical moss gardening. The MOUNTAIN MOSSERY is now a reality! We've accomplished another milestone toward our BIG mossy ideas. Go Green With Moss!
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May 2011 Newsletter - Part 4 0
MARCHANTIA on my MIND
Usually I feature a moss in each newsletter but this time I have Marchantia on my mind – a liverwort. Sometimes liverworts are mistaken for mosses but this most common worldwide liverwort is easy to distinguish. A thallose liverwort with BIG leaves (at least big for bryophytes), Marchantia polymorpha can be found in all types of climates from arctic regions to tropical forests. Instead of the typical style moss sporophytes, this “moss cousin,” has reproductive “umbrellas”. Gemmae cups are clearly visible on the round-lobed leaves illustrating another reproductive function. Marchantia p. has a deep, brilliant green color that almost glows in the landscape.
If we interpret scientific observations of this liverwort in its natural surroundings and habitats, we once again discover how yet another bryophyte could be valuable as a preferred horticultural choice for solving environmental issues of erosion control and restoration of disturbed habitats. Documented research indicates that the rhizoids of Marchantia intertwine and securely attach to soil substrates in tight mats. Erosion control can be achieved by purposefully introducing this fast-growing liverwort described as an early “invader” of fire sites. In nature, it is considered an early succession plant and in several years other vascular plants move in to dominate the area as these liverworts help rebuild the soil. However, sometimes the tight mats hamper new growth of other seedlings. It can thrive on disturbed soils high in heavy metals such as lead, zinc and chelated copper but regular copper hampers growth. It prefers subcalcareous soil conditions (pH 6.0) under full sunlight.
Now, the real reason Marchantia is on my mind is that I'm having great success introducing this liverwort as a lawn option. Since it is considered a “weed” because of its fast-growing properties, I decided to try it out in my moss lawn experiments. Rescued from an urban greenhouse where it was considered a bother, this liverwort was planted last fall and exposed to snow and freezing temperatures this past winter. Now, in May, it is displaying new “umbrellas” and seems to be spreading faster than some other bryophyte types. It is planted in a partial shade/mainly sunny spot directly on landscape fabric weed barrier with only the soil that came attached to the colony. As part of my typical watering regime, when it doesn't rain, these liverworts receive supplemental overhead watering three times a day for 5 minutes each session. I might have to change my own mind about the value of liverworts in garden applications and start saying... Go Green With Mosses... and Liverworts!
Reference: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/bryophyte/marpol/
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May 2011 Newsletter - Part 3 0
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH and SPECIAL PROJECTS
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Spreading the word about mosses and instilling a life-long love of these magical plants is one of my greatest pleasures. Go Green With Moss programs and workshops can be geared toward various age groups and interests. Personal site consultations and private moss lessons are available to individuals and organizations. This past week, I sure enjoyed spending the day with Christine Bock from the Tennessee Aquarium as we explored appropriate moss types for their Cove Forest Exhibit.
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Although our calendar is filling up, it is not too late to schedule your garden club, environmental group, summer camp or kids event. Here are some highlights of upcoming events. Some are open to the public. Early registration is recommended for workshops to ensure your spot.
In May, we will be recruiting more moss fairies and moss mavericks as we coordinate an exciting “hands-on” learning opportunity for 3rd graders at Rainbow Mountain Children's School in West Asheville. This idea grew from a mutual moss fascination with Dulcita Love, an Asheville-based Web designer and social media marketing specialist. With her lead sponsorship, we've organized a moss project along with teacher, West Willmore, and principal, Renee Owen, for the 3rd graders. The kids will transform an old water feature (original to this AVL historic home... now the school) and adorn the area with mosses, liverworts, lichens and special native plants (like ferns and miniature wild iris). This environmental art experience will emphasize a holistic approach incorporating botany, environmental science, art, and math as we design and install this moss feature in the school's outdoor classroom area. Parents and other interested supporters can donate $$$ to expand the project's vision. http://www.dulcitalove.com/news/moss-garden-installation-at-rainbow-mountain-childrens-schoo.html
Daisy Girl Scouts will actually get to dress up like moss fairies for their upcoming meeting in Mountain Moss' Demonstration Garden in Pisgah Forest, NC. They are guaranteed to have a magical moss experience... and maybe even find some REAL fairies! Beth Suttles Banks will be bringing Piper and her friends to lead them down a mossy path in life.
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EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Southeastern Chapter of the American Rock Garden Society – East Flat Rock Village Town Hall – Flat Rock, NC – Saturday, MAY 21 @ 10:30 am
Invited back for a 2nd time, Mossin' Annie of Mountain Moss Enterprises will present a Go Green With Moss program on how to effectively use bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) in rock gardens, waterfall features and for other horticultural applications in your garden. Specific bryophyte types will be highlighted for their environmental solutions regarding erosion control and stormwater drainage. Meetings are open to the public and held on the 3rd Saturday of each month. No charge.
New Leaf Garden Market – Pisgah Forest, NC – Saturday, JUNE 11 @ 11 am
Tabletop Moss Garden Workshop with Mossin' Annie
Mossin' Annie Martin will teach participants about the wonderful world of mosses around us and then will help them create a magical moss tabletop garden to take home. This New Leaf Garden Market workshop provides a unique opportunity for parent & child to work as partners in creating a moss masterpiece. A moss tabletop garden would be a wonderful Father's Day Gift! This workshop is not limited to Parent/Child teams, adults may participate individually as well. Please pre-register as space is limited. Cost for this workshop is $20 per moss garden (one moss garden per adult participant or adult/child working together). All materials for your moss masterpiece are included in the fee for this workshop. Contact Hope Janowitz to register: 828-966-LEAF or newleafgc@gmail.com.
Asheville Greenworks Annual Community Garden Tour – Kenilworth Neighborhood – Asheville, NC – Sunday, JUNE 19 – 1-5 pm
Mossin' Annie will greet visitors as a garden hostess and share her expertise on moss gardening in the most magnificent moss garden in all of WNC – the home of John Cram and Matt Chambers.
Each year, Asheville Greenworks offers a garden tour of an Asheville neighborhood. This year, it's Kenilworth. It will be my privilege to be stationed in my FAV moss garden and in my old neighborhood. I'll be available to answer questions about the benefits of bryophytes and offer my expertise in moss gardening. In addition, moss trays will be available for sale and moss-as-art creations which would make a unique Father's Day gift. There will be other Kenilworth gardens on the tour that provide their own special magic as well. Please purchase tickets in advance as space is limited. Cost is $20 and all proceeds will go to support the programs of Asheville Greenworks. www.ashevillegreenworks.org/summer-social-and-fathers-day-tour-2011/
Other Upcoming Events of Interest:
White Squirrel Festival in Brevard, NC
Brevard's Sesquicentennial Celebrations
New Leaf Garden Market Summer workshops
OUR 1st OPEN HOUSE
Mountain Moss hosted our first Open House at our demonstration garden in Pisgah Forest, NC on Mother's Day afternoon. Thanks to all who joined us, especially those folks who traveled from Hendersonville, Tryon and even Greenville. It was such a success that I'm sure we'll do it again.
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