Schenk, George. Moss Gardening Including Lichens, Liverworts, and Other Miniatures. Timber Press. 1997.

This book is fascinating to read. As a person who never tried this form of gardening, this book provides the needed instructions and encouragement to explore a whole new world of gardening. Schenk includes mosses, lichens, liverworts, and club mosses in this book of miniature plants. He provides careful descriptions of each plant group so the reader can distinguish them when he finds them in the wild. However, don't expect this book to help you identify the specific species for a moss, lichen, club moss or liverwort. Their identification would require a microscope be carried with you in the field. He does provide some brief portraits of common species.

Schenk provides information on moss gardening in Japan both today and as reported by the Zen Buddhist monks of a 1000 years ago. In fact, they may have been the world's first moss gardeners. He is quick to point out the very few moss gardens that exist in the Western world. For some reason, we in the west have not considered this real gardening.

Other chapters are devoted to moss-covered rocks, mosses that travel the world via spore growing wherever they find suitable environment, and mossy carpets planted on purpose by gardeners or simply growing within the forest. Schenk's directions will be helpful for anyone wanting to grow moss.

Since I particularly enjoy rock gardening (in raised beds or containers), I found his chapter on moss in alpine gardens delightful. He reminds you that moss can grow in full shade or full sun. It's just a matter of matching the moss species to the growing conditions. He also provides complete instructions for growing mosses in all types of containers - from hollowed out logs, to terrariums, bonsai containers, or flower pots! You can use almost anything imaginable as a container as long as it holds soil and stays moist enough for the plants to grow well.

Mosses and lichens and other miniature plants are suggested as trophies for the traveler. They are easy to take home in plastic baggies and can be planted in pots. Nothing like a living souvenir of your latest travels. You may run into some difficulty with customs though if you travel overseas. Fortunately, mosses or lichens aren't generally considered invasive plants. Therefore, you should have little difficulty bringing them home.

Conclusion

If you find these miniature plants fascinating, please consider adding this book to your collection of garden books. Moss gardening in troughs or other containers is ideal for the physically impaired. You can experience the endless satisfaction of growing these wonderful plants to perfection with little difficulty in transplanting, carting dirt around, etc. This book will open your eyes to a new world of very accessible gardening!