Aesthetic Approaches
The magical world of mosses, with its myriad of textures, shapes and shades of green, touches each of us with its beauty.
Mosses bring smiles to our hearts and delight to our spirits. The ambiance of moss gardens is renowned. The appeal of verdant green mosses is not new to gardeners, at least in Japan, where the magnificent moss gardens of the Kyoto temples have attracted pilgrims for 5000 years. In reality, mosses sneaked into these grand temple gardens during periods of neglect. Thankfully, gardeners embraced the mosses and now they are prominent features. My book has an extensive section on Japan’s grand temple moss gardens. I’m appreciative of the people who generously contributed photographs to include in my book. Thanks to Janice Glime, Dale Sievert, Hinonori Geduchi and Geert Raeymaekers for sharing their images. Maybe one day, I’ll get to visit these historical and impressive moss gardens and take photographs of my own.
The absolutely best video I’ve run across about Japan’s great temple gardens and moss cultivation in Japan can be viewed on YouTube. I urge you to check it out. The subtleties and nuances of various mosses enhance any landscape whether featured in a Japanese Tea Garden or integrated into native restoration project here in America. Whether you desire expansive carpets of green mosses or want to emphasize variations in bryophyte types in unique pocket gardens, mosses create an extraordinary place of calm and relaxation.
Mosses offer year-round green with incredible hints of brilliant reds, bronzes and golds that occur at various times of the year. Even in the winter, mosses will offer their range of greens... that is, unless covered in snow. So, while snuggled warm in your house, enjoy the brilliant green of a moss focal feature that can be viewed from interior vantage points.
Spirits soar in moss gardens.
Veils of serenity encompass our souls when we take the time to reflect surrounded by mosses. Connecting with these intricate and delicate plants allows us to expand our own understanding of self. The aesthetic appeal of ancient mosses reaffirms our spiritual connection with our planet.
