Sometimes you don’t need to look far to enjoy something so naturally beautiful… Not 6 feet away from where I sit writing this post, is a patch of ground moss that is about 3 square 
feet by now. I was checking out the site a few minutes ago, turned to my left, and in the gentle yellow morning sunlight, this patch of moss which has been growing for many months now, suddenly looked worthy of a photograph and a post. I have always liked those floral (can they be called that if they are just made of moss?) arrangements in the West where they simply clump incredibly lush moss into highly prized antique cache pots or into silver bowls. It seems to contradictory, so out of place, and yet so incredibly nice to look at. I always wondered what poor forest gave up that moss and secretly hoped it was commercially raised somehow…
In Manila, I have only ever come across a similar clump of moss ONCE and I bought all of it, even though I had a sneaking suspicion it was taken from a nice damp unaggressive forest floor somewhere… It looked good for a few days then I had a dried moss mess. So 
today, I decided to just continue enjoying this patch of moss outside without bringing it indoors. I am not totally sure what makes it so appealing to me, the undulation of green over the underlying soil, the color itself, the tiny leaves which on magnified inspection are stunning in pattern and shape. But this all just proves one thing…you don’t need to look far and you don’t need to spend anything, to enjoy something so naturally impressive. Have a good Friday… I am back from a trip and swamped with activity…
8 Responses
Green is a restful color, allows the eyes to relax, especially when it’s a natural green. There’s a richness about the texture that also helps, plus you’re heartrate probably slowed down and made it easier to relax as you pondered on the natural beauty of moss.
As for dried moss, use it in planters to help whatever you have planted from drying out.
MM. are those earthworms that i see?
i love moss! used to have it all over our rock garden in Larchmont… Near some poison ivy.. Is “lumot” the pinoy term for moss? Sadly it has such a bad reputation here.
You are absolutely right – there is always something around us that with surely give us some respite moment – relaxing mood. We do not need to add to the wear and tear of the road to enjoy our day. Am one that is relaxed sitting under the shade of my guava tree especially in the heat of the summer just sipping my iced cold tea – very therapeutic. Florists lean on moss as a filler especially those huge tropical arrangement or topiary. Some creative florists stick them by the steam of the flowering phalenopsis and dendrobium orchids and cover the root base with moss.
i have actually imagined microscopic civilizations dwelling in moss, in interconnected suspension-type fiberhouses. a thought inspired by animation film ‘kaena’ mixed with my childhood recollection of diorama forests. i also really dig the color moss green. it is my dream to one day own a really mean sports car and have it painted a mean moss green. i also like the movie ‘great expectations’ for its extensive and almost exagerrated use of green colors. almost everyone wore green in different shades in that film. the night scenes were shot in moss green and white i think (as opposed to black and white). (ü)
“…you don’t need to look far and you don’t need to spend anything, to enjoy something so naturally impressive.” –this for me would be watching bird courtship in our backyard…
If you ever want to see multi-colored moss in the Philippines, I have seen some on Mount Pulag, which I believe is the highest peak in Luzon. It is 6 hours out of Baguio City (by mini-bus, 4WD, or jeepney). The flora there is AMAZING because of the climate difference (and altitude). So if you are ever in that neck of the woods and feeling really adventurous, it is definitely a trip worth planning/taking.
moss looks really good, bright natural green color, that really brings life to surroundings, I saw a garden before in Japan and the ground is all covered with moss, it really looks good. . .
Hi MM, how are ya? Moss…yeah I remember heaps of that growing in the rock gardens in my old school in Manila (St Paul Pasig)…beautiful!!! Thanks for this post, it’s one of the nice things that take me back. Unfortunately, in Melbourne there’s not much moss around; the climate is too dry perhaps. I hadn’t realised until your post that I don’t see it here. So thanks for the memories…Again! :-)