DIY moss graffiti

DIY moss grafitti

Express your green views for all to see – right on the walls of your house, restaurant or office. It’s the hottest trend in urban agriculture, after hydroponics and vertical farming.

This way you can follow the customization trend and literally green your walls: create whimsically-shaped words and images out of live moss to decorate your outside walls.

The environmentally-conscious gardener adapts to the climate, as Jordan did with its brown golfing greens. Still, it’s not all arid desert and sand in the Middle East. Many countries here contain hilly, wooded areas where damp winters allow enough moisture for moss to thrive.

An underestimated garden ornamental, moss requires no fertilizers nor even watering after its established, making it a sustainable house decoration. Here’s the way to encourage the velvety green stuff to grow just the way you want it to.

Old buildings are ideal for this, especially those standing in damp, shady corners. You could leave a message of love, or a rant on life, or express political opinions in living moss. Or if you’re into The Lord of the Rings, write a graceful green rune in Elvish to cast a spell over those who might wander into your garden. It needn’t be limited to walls: moss being a tough, resistant plant, a living green message could also decorate a footpath.

According to the National Gardening Association, moss thrives in shady, moist, sheltered areas. It likes  filtered light, such as that falling through tree branches, and morning or late afternoon sun.

You need to either collect moss from an established patch (search your own or a friend’s garden) or buy some from a specialized garden center. Take it into your kitchen.

Moss Grafitti – What you need to DIY

1 can of beer

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Several clumps of garden moss

Tools for making moss grafitti

Recycled plastic container with lid

Blender

Paintbrush

Stencil with your design

Crumble the moss into the blender. Add the beer and sugar and blend just long enough to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Now pour the mixture into the plastic container.

Paint the moss blend onto a damp and shady wall, either free-hand or using a stencil. Water the new moss at regular intervals for the first month. Be gentle – don’t aim a hose at it, because that would wash it away.  And don’t fertilize; moss doesn’t like a rich environment. Soon the bits of blended moss should begin to grow together into a whole rooted mass. You’ll need to trim excess away once it begins to grow and stray out of your design area – or just let it go to become a green tapestry on your garden wall.

Got moss graffiti growing? Now, read on for the world’s oldest terrarium here! 

Or how to grow an olive tree in a container. It’s easy! 

Author: Miriam Kresh

Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

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