A cloudy day with light rain is the suggestion for framing the perfect moss photo in this marvelous article on Japanese Girl’s Guide to Moss. Many years ago, one of my garden goals was to transform the land that comprises our garden to a carpet of moss, from the gravel patch we inherited.
It’s hard not to imagine Japanese gardens when you think of carpets of moss or mossy stones. One of the most famous moss gardens is the Saihō-ji_Temple in Kyoto, Japan.
Moss belongs to the general category of Bryophytes, and the word is rooted in Greek meaning tree-moss or oyster-green. They don’t have traditional vascular tissue and they reproduce by spores. They are also one of the oldest terrestrial plants on earth.
So let’s get to the beauty of them. The range of greens and textures is stunning. What is marvelous to me is how they survive in California with our hot summer days and virtually no rain from May to October. Somehow the host ground or tree or rock, provides nutrients so that when water comes again they spring to life in vibrant greens.
I should mention something about photography. All of these photos were taken by me with my trusty Iphone 6plus which has become my camera of choice. I've owned many cameras but the iphone has replaced even the smallest compact camera as it's always at the ready.
I have taken thousands and thousands of photos: food photos, baby photos, and travel pictures. Now photos of cats as well as plants and flowers are a frequent subject. The best photo advice I have ever gotten was to take more photos. Here are our Bengal cats Ranger and Rogue enjoying a mossy walk.
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