Moss

Natural Moss

Soft velvet pillows of green moss look exquisite in wreath form. Natural moss can be gathered from the woodlands or it might be lurking in your own backyard. I collected a large bucket full from an old rain gutter on my garage. Flower shops should carry mood moss, another variety that works great for living wreath applications. Moss can look seemingly dry, brown, and lifeless until you give it a quick soak in cool fresh water. Right before your eyes, it plumps, turns green and springs to life!

15-inch round wreath form

Approximately 25 (3 x 3-inch) mosses

Wrapping the Moss

1. Start with a damp wreath base.

2. There is no need to poke holes into the wreath form. Simply pack sections of moistened living moss on top of the wreath base, so moss upon moss is what we are going for. I clustered natural gathered moss and mood moss to get some color and texture variation.

3. Tie on your spool of fishing line and place on a clump of moss and gently start wrapping at 1-inch intervals to secure the moss. This is the same wrapping technique as when you wrapped the copper wire to make your wreath base. The fishing line effectively disappears into the moss.

4. Continue adding on more moss, wrapping until the entire wreath is covered.

5. Tie off the fishing line. This wreath can hang immediately after construction.

Care of a Natural Moss Wreath

This moss wreath does best hanging in a shady location out of direct sunlight. Keep it very moist by submerging it in water for three minutes or by giving a long and gentle soak with the hose. In hotter months, you may have to moisten the wreath quite often to keep it green and plump.

Irish and Scotch Moss

The dense tufts and shaggy texture of the Irish and Scotch mosses remind me of an old patchwork quilt. This wreath will be a lush carpet of emerald and chartreuse green and will bloom star-shaped white flowers in the spring and early summer. Both of these mosses are easily found at nurseries and garden centers.

11-inch square wreath form

8 Irish mosses

8 Scotch mosses

Prepping the Moss

Take out the moss from its plastic pot and remove all soil, leaving just the green tuft of moss with some soil clinging to the roots. Don’t be afraid to remove the bottom roots and soil. Moss thrives while planted level with the soil line.

Wrapping the Moss

1. The technique for wrapping the Irish and Scotch mosses is the same as the natural moss wreath. Start with a damp wreath base. There is no need to poke holes into the wreath form. Simply pack sections of mosses on top of the wreath base, so moss upon moss is what we are going for.

2. Alternate the emerald green and chartreuse mosses, clustering like colors to create a sense of balance.

3. Tie on a spool of fishing line and place it on a clump of moss. Gently start wrapping at 1-inch intervals to secure the plant. This is the same wrapping technique as when you wrapped the copper wire to make your wreath base. The fishing line effectively disappears into the moss. Continue adding on more moss, wrapping until the entire wreath is covered.

4. Tie off the fishing line. This wreath can hang immediately after construction.

Care of Irish and Scotch Moss Wreath

The Irish and Scotch moss wreath prefers a part sun and part shade location. Water the wreath thoroughly by submerging it in water for two to three minutes or by giving a long and gentle soak with water from a hose. Let the wreath dry between watering, and remember that consistency is key.