Mosses and ferns

In my general dissatisfaction, which is native to human flesh, I frequently forget that I have a garden. It resides behind the cottage at Lake Fletcher. Every visit, it draws me back, reminding me to calm down and enjoy small things.

My idea of a garden is a place where humans and nature interact. I like to influence the spirit of place, but exert as little control as possible. My cottage garden is inspired by photographs of Kokedera, the Moss Temple in Kyoto.

The only exotic plants that grow there are a few Hosta, Digitalis (foxgloves), Viola odorata and Myrrhis odorata (sweet cicely). Mostly I transplanted ferns from the surrounding forest, and the peculiar Polypodium, shown in one of these photos, has adapted particularly well. We have encouraged mosses to grow over the rocks and bare soil. Last year Brenna added quite a few clumps she had harvested from the cottage roof, and some of these have taken quite well. Other natives include Mitchella repens (partridge berry) and several species of Lycopodium (clubmosses, which are not like mosses at all). Every year, different fungi offer themselves.

Not much maintenance is required. Every year I have to pull up a few maple and hemlock saplings, and leaves must occasionally be swept from the granite stepping stones. The garden only requires that one stop and be still.





( +2 )