Topiary moss, also known as sphagnum, is a low- maintenance plant that grows mainly in wet areas and requires minimum sunlight.
It has small leaves, around four inches tall, mainly light green or earthly brown. The leaves grow closely in small tufts, which give it the appearance of fur or hair. Topiary moss is a durable plant that thrives well in almost all seasons.
It has a shallow root system that grows fast on almost any surface. You can use topiary moss indoors or outdoors, depending on your goal.
Because of how uniform and green it is, you can plant it as a base for your flowers, creeping plants, or vine plants.
Another everyday use for topiary moss is making topiary structures like animals, shapes, or plants, which you can have around your compound or in your house. To make topiary structures:
- Choose a frame of the structure you want and ensure there are no broken wires. Before planting the topiary moss, look at the frame and straighten all the bent wires.
- Secure your frame to a pot or the ground, depending on where you want it.
- Soak the moss in water and stir it to ensure it is all soaked.
- Start filling the topiary structures with moss from the bottom to the top until you cannot see the frame.
- Wrap the frame using a florist's wire or fishing line to hold the topiary moss in place, then trim away any moss strands hanging outside the wire.
You can leave it like that or poke holes into the moss and add some plants, especially if you have made an animal topiary. As the moss grows to take the shape of the animals, the plants will grow and make the animal appear to be in a forest.
If you make a topiary plant structure but want to see flowers, you can add small flowering plants into the moss since it does not blossom. You, however, need to ensure that the plants will keep the moss and maintain the shape of your topiary plant.
There are different sizes and shapes of topiary structures, and you can choose one that resembles your pet. If you need help finding an excellent topiary design, you can buy wire, make your own, and then buy moss from a nursery like TN Nursery.
Topiary moss does not require much maintenance, but you have to prune them often if you want to retain a defined shape of your topiary structure.
