Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
David Spain, co-owner of Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, had the privilege to be a guest on NBC-17′s My Carolina Today TV with host, Valonda Calloway.
“It was such an honor to be able to show Valonda, Kim and the crew around The Moss Farm, they all wanted to move-in! Sorry I took your closing line Valonda, we did all have a great time though.” ~David Spain
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
The ever enthusiastic moss man, David Spain recently talked moss with gardening enthusiast, C.L. Fornari on Gardenline, It was mossome! Check it out.
C.L.’s interview probed moss in general, plus how Moss Rocks! came to be.
David Spain is a passionate moss expert, pioneering moss cultivation, working to educate gardeners of the perils of wild harvesting of mosses and to, instead, help them develop sustainable propagation techniques.
Did you know Moss Rocks! is a home decor item using a specialized ceramic container, with a patent pending design to maintain and display Dicranum mosses? The use of Dicranum moss makes this gift item uniquely suited for low maintenance care, indoors and out.
For more on moss education, listen in by clicking below
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
Valentines Day is often represented with images of cupid wearing a diaper shooting an arrow right through the hearts of unsuspecting love. That’s what happened one day when cupid struck his arrow through the hearts of Pet Rock and Chia Pet. But, there is a twist to this story. Cupid, had a fashion malfunction. He was wearing a moss diaper, which was common for his generation, but he had an accident.
Chia and Rock’s cupid was getting up in the years and he couldn’t fly as well as the other cupids on the love circuit. When he was taking aim at Chia and Rock, he ran into a flying pet poodle wearing mama-jamas. The collision caused spores to spew from his moss diaper. Just as the arrows struck his love-creating hearts, spores sprinkled down, lightly dusting the young loves.
This love led hot fun in the summertime, but with a cool twist. Both Chia and Rock had an insatiable desire to, a-hem, find a moss garden to express their love. Moss Rocks! is the love child of this innocent love.
Fortunately for the masses, later generations of Moss Rocks! came true to seed, sorta speak, and reproduce in three sizes – Pebble, Cobble, Boulder.
To celebrate this originial sacred union, Moss and Stone Gardens — Where Moss Rocks! is offering a special and introducing 2 new products – Moss Stream & Rain Shower.
The specials include:
The Impressor
Impress your Valentine with the most unique gift available; one of our now famous Moss Rocks! in the Cobble (medium) size!
Our Moss Stream deep watering bottle is bundled with this package to round out a very Impressive gift that will be remembered year round!
INCLUDED: Toadstool (color) Cobble (size)
Moss Stream 250ml deep watering bottle
Valentines Card with the name of the shipper
No size or color substitutions available on this special order!
The Thriller
Your Valentine will be absolutely thrilled with this package we have put together featuring the Cobble (medium) and Pebble (small) sizes of our Moss Rocks! This package is bundled with our complete watering solution, featuring the Moss Stream deep watering bottle, and the Moss Rainshower ultra fine sprayer.
INCLUDED: Toadstool (color) Cobble (size)
Bark (color) Pebble (size)
Moss Stream 250ml deep watering bottle
Moss Rain Shower 2oz ultra fine sprayer
Valentines Card with the name of the shipper
No size or color substitutions available on this special order!
The “OMG”
OMG!… what else can your Valentine say after receiving the full set of our Moss Rocks! and our complete watering solution all in one day!
This combination is the ultimate pleaser, and we have a guess as to what the lucky recipient of this gift will say!
INCLUDED: Toadstool (color) Boulder (size)
Raindrop (color) Cobble (size)
Bark (color) Pebble (size)
Moss Stream 250ml deep watering bottle
Moss Rain Shower 2oz ultra fine sprayer
Valentines Card with the name of the shipper
No size or color substitutions available on this special order!
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
A disclaimer from Moss and Stone Gardens — Where Moss Rocks! co-owner David Spain:
The sight of moss may lead to some moss-enducing activities that we, as a company, cannot be responsible for. Please moss responsibility. Your secrets are safe with me — Moss my heart and hope to die. So party on and send your sweetie something peaty!
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
Phalaenopsis blooms rise high above a commissioned pottery piece by Marsha Owen. A beautiful work of art that can be used inside as a centerpiece on the dining room table or in the foyer as a fresh welcome home. Set this dish garden next to the bed for a soothing sight while waiting for the light to wane from evening to night. During the warm summer months, this moss and orchid dish garden could be admired outdoors.
David Spain wanted an orchid container that used moss as a living plant not as a dried up, deceased, dressing. David explains, “Paired with orchids, moss is treated most often as a mulch not as a living plant. Wanting to combine moss and an orchid as living species, I was inspired to create a container that allowed the two to be displayed together, but with both kept alive.”
David’s clever design is a ring to combine a living moss dish garden with an orchid (or another plant); one that possess separate containers, allowing for different watering and soil conditions.
When designing your orchid container, considering adding live mulch to keep the composition fresh and alive.
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
Our very own, David Spain co-owner of Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks is featured in the most recent issue — early spring — of Country Gardens magazine. We featured the photo shoot back in May; today, the story is nestled among many other truly unique and wonderful stories in one of America’s most loved magazine.
The story is titled: As Green as it Gets, by moi,
Raised high in a pedestal dish or lowered into the depths of an old oak log, a moss dish garden lets you admire a lilliputian landscape at close range. David Spain, co-owner of Moss and Stone Gardens in Raleigh, creates these verdant little landscapes in various vessels. ….
The story also includes an in-depth how-to for making your own dish gardens at home. I hope you pick up your copy today. When yours arrives in the mail, carve out some time and settle in for a good, long read.
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
David Spain will be speaking to the Durham Garden Forum, an informal group that meets monthly to enrich the members’ gardening knowledge and skill. January’s topic: “A Garden of Moss,” with David Spain of Moss and Stone Gardens. With 10 years of experience cultivating moss and creating gardens, David will share his expertise on moss culture and design strategies. Contact Durham Garden Forum at durhamgardenforum@gmail.com. Parking is free after 5 p.m.
Hope you can make it!
Speaker: David Spain
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
Dear David Spain,
I have been encouraging moss in my backyard and following your tips for a regular watering schedule. I can really see a big difference in the growth of the moss since I started and we are getting very excited with the results. The trouble is that there’s often many earthworm castings on the surface that are an eyesore and difficult to remove. What do you recommend to deal with this annoying problem. Thank you in advance for your help.
James
You are not alone in this problem. The reason that earthworms sometimes leave behind their castings above the surface is a direct correlation to the amount of moisture in the soil. As the soil becomes saturated with water the worms will migrate towards the top layer of soil. The cure is to reduce watering volume, ensuring the ground does not become saturated. If you are using a sprinkler system, adjust it’s settings to reduce the run time or frequency. Light and frequent waterings are beneficial for moss growth but watering too much is only a waste of water and can promote other problems such as earthworm castings or slime molds.
There are a couple of techniques to remove the worm castings after they appear. One is to let them dry out completely, this will allow you to crumble the castings without causing a mud cake on top of the moss. Another is to use a knife to slice off the tower of the casting pile and discard, moisten the remaining casting and allow it to soften, then using a pump sprayer, concentrate a jet stream directly on to the pile and dissolve it. Using a sprayer instead of a water hose will minimize the amount of water needed to dissolve the small spot without saturating the ground and beginning the cycle all over again.
Creating the proper conditions for moss growth is a balancing act. We can create an environment that will allow moss to grow at an increased rate, but we must be careful to not create the conditions for undesirable side effects. Happy mossgardening.
David Spain, a.k.a. Moss Rock
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
Hi Helen here. Consider this story Moss and Stone Garden’s — Where Moss Rocks! first guest blogger post. Even though I write a post weekly, this is the first time I’ve written about my personal experience with moss. Moss Rocks!
Alone each week, I sit to script a post and share the wonders of Moss Rocks! Each week, for nearly a year now, I’ve watched millions visit this blog and Moss and Stone Garden’s website to read, purchase Moss Rocks!, and yes, as many have suggested, to question my sanity. But, hey, Moss Rocks! rock. It’s easy to go crazy around those little cuties. However, just like the shoemaker’s wife, I’m the Cobble’s writer. Everyone around me has Pebbles, Cobbles, and Boulders. But I had none. I had to live vicariously though my tales about Moss Rocks! Until now. Santa was good to me. He brought me Moss Rocks!
Now, as I sit writing in the rising light, I’ll never again be alone. My Moss Rocks! will always be by my side. When I’m watching the kids kick the soccer ball in the back garden of Helen’s Haven, I can bring Moss Rocks! with me to cheer them on. This year, when I go to Florida, Moss Rocks! will ride shotgun, telling me mossome tales. I never tire hearing about how he came to be. He tells the story so well.
When I go for a picnic, Moss Rocks! will be by my side, helping wick away the dew. He will offer me solace, when I’m feeling blue. Moss Rocks! will comfort my kitty when the load of the world weights heavy on his shoulders. Something that can only be fixed with a Boulder. Yes, I will share my Moss Rocks! with those I love. As long as you remember, love me, love my Moss Rocks! When I’m invited for a day with you, please remember, I’ll bring him too.
I struggled with a name to best suit his personality, but then it came to me: Galanthus. Like the flower, Galanthus brings me brightness whenever there is darkness around me.
Please share with me what you and your Moss Rocks! have been up too. I’m always looking for ideas to spend time with Galanthus. Feel free to post here or on Moss and Stone Gardens’ Facebook page. If looking for a play date, text me. ;~\
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Photo credited obviously NOT Ken Gergle.
Award winning photographer, Ken Gergle, is the man behind the lens at Moss and Stone Gardens and Blog .
I’m of the opinion that Ken is Moss and Stone Garden’s unsung hero. For almost a year, M&SG has posted weekly with one of Ken Gergle’s fantastic photos. Each week, Ken works on a moss composition for the blog to use for a story idea David Spain or I have.
With apologies, we tend to blindside Ken, giving very little notice and often some off-the-wall subject. Once I figure out what I want to write about, our conversations go something like this, “Ken can you get me a closeup photo of some sporophytes? Umm, I need it by Monday…” Yes, after all this time, he is still talking to me.
Ken is a pro. Despite, short notice, never knowing what the topic will be next, aside from the theme of moss, he manages to produce photos that get our readers (that’s you!) visiting again and again. We are a team, and Ken Gergle’s photography is the master at making whatever I write about interesting; David Spain makes sure what I write about is right. I’m merely the moss messenger.
Thanks to all our readers for continuing to visit our blog and clicking through to the website. You give us purpose; although we would continue to write about moss, it’s just nice to know others are interested in it too. Happy New Year and may we continue to explore moss together in 2012. The Moss and Stone Gardens communication team — David Spain, Ken Gergle, and Helen Yoest.
Click here to enjoy more of Ken’s work.
Ken has had a lifelong passion for the interpreting the visual world around him. To this end, he studied graphic design, art, and of course, photography.
For over 30 years, Ken has photographed both in the studio and on location for a wide variety of ad agencies, corporations, and businesses of all types. He has created imagery that sold, inspired, and motivated.
Today, Ken works primarily as a nature photographer and continues the exploration of all around him that visually stimulates and inspires.
Order your Moss Rocks! online today. Moss is grand. Moss is green. Moss is good. Make the most of it; order Moss Rocks! today.
By: Helen Yoest
Follow Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks! on Twitter @Moss_Rocks and our Facebook Like page Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!
To learn more about Moss and Stone Gardens – Where Moss Rocks!, please visit our website. Or email David Spain at info@mossandstonegardens.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all photo are credited to Ken Gergle.
