005: Moss Ball

I've been wanting to make a moss ball for quite a while.  It has been booming in Japan as a "calming" object, as it looks like a Bonsai but is really easy to make and maintain.  Here is how you do it.

You only need...
- Peat Moss
- Live Moss
- Black String
- Whatever Plants You Like

Take out the plants from the pots and carefully mould the soil into a ball shape.  Use moist peat moss to shape a perfect sphere.  Then, wrap the ball with live moss and put black string around tightly to fasten the live moss.  That's it!  I placed it on a ceramic saucer that my husband made in Japan.  To water the ball, just pour water into the saucer so that the moss absorbs it to keep it moist.  Also, I elevated it with pebbles so that any excess water will drain. 

 

I went to a nursery in Andersonville to get some potted plants.  They have a big green house and have a large variety of tropical and desert plants.  I was intending to make it have more of a Bonsai look originally, so I wanted to get something like Japanese Maple or Pine.  They did have a good amount of small trees in their Bonsai section but they were totally out of my reach in terms of budget.  So, I got a 3" Foliage.  Then I realized that this is for Weekly "Flower" Therapy, so I needed to add flowers.  Luckily, I found a teeny tiny African Violet pot.  It was so cute.  People don't include flowers in their moss balls that often, but it totally worked fine.  It added a splash of color and made it look more cheerful and joyous.  My moss ball may not to be a "calming" object, but that's OK.  That's the beauty of a moss ball.  You can choose whatever plant you like and make your own.  Please try it!