Moss Code

During the redevelopment of my garden, in the vegetable plot there was a strip along the edge that I planned to grow a Lavender hedge to segregate the gravel from the plot and our garden boundary line. Like most things, nothing is ever as straight forward as planting the Lavender into the ground. In the process of cultivation, I was hitting solid 'rock' just a few inches down and as I made a few more investigatory shovels it became apparent that there was a solid concrete footing (no longer in use) running along the entire stretch of the prospective Lavender hedge. Right then, back to square one. An hour or two later and with some hefty pick axe work from my old man, I was left with several lumps of industrial, and quite frankly nasty looking, pebble mixed concrete 'rocks,' which to my Mothers surprise, I wanted to keep.

The shade border in my garden is still slowly developing and I had planned for a small rockery to be installed in there. One to not follow rules, I didn't want the typical alpine style rockery. For starters I am not a massive alpine fan and secondly I wanted it to look rustic and like it had been there for years. I know where you think this is going, "she's going to use this concrete, how does that look uncontrived?" Well, you're right. This was my challenge. 

I wanted to recycle the acquired concrete. So, I piled it up in a curved drift, sunk the base 'rock' into the ground and filled the gaps with compost, whereby later I plan to plant Aubrietia which love to cascade down rocks along with some Campanula. Although the concrete surface appearance was still glaring and I needed to do something to naturalise it. Moss, one of natures softest cushions, a lot of people see moss as a sign of neglect or unkemptness, I personally love it because of that effortlessly naturalistic characteristic and woodland feel it employs. Not only this, but moss is a vital ecosystem that most underestimate. I wanted to encourage moss growth on my rockery and I had read about a recipe I could make to do this.

-A pot of natural/plain yoghurt

-1/2 teaspoon of sugar

-A couple of hand fulls of moss

I had a large area to cover so I doubled the quantities, but it is all just simply mixed together until the moss is finely dispersed throughout the mixture and then painted onto the area I wanted the moss to grow. All the aftercare needed is a slight misting of water to keep it damp until new moss begins to grow and hopefully, in a few weeks my contrived 'rocks' will look like they were destined to be in their new location teaming with new life and a new found purpose. Only time will tell.