Anyone experienced with moss gardens?

[Blitzjg]

I was thinking about starting one but had some questions.

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[distaff]

Only in killing them. I've even tried the slurry that you *seed* bark with. The one time it grew was in a discarded ten gallon that was stashed under a large fish tub out in the green house. I really wanted some in my vivs. You might try setting the moss in around a sponge, and keep the sponge almost saturated.

Also, if you have hard water, I'd recommend distilled water. These do tend to be after all, boggy, acid soil, pine forest type plants. That is another reason, I would not mist from the top, but water from below. Like ferns, they don't seem to do well with actual tap water on their leaves. You might make sure you are using non-chlorinated water.

[Blitzjg]

I suppose I should have elaborated and my vocabulary is probably not vast enough to communicate what I meant, but I want an indoor moss plant. I think the green is beautiful. From a quick google search I found this article which makes it sound super easy:

How to Grow Moss Indoors

Learning how to grow moss indoors is a simple task; in fact, this can be a good project for parents and children to do together. Start with a clear glass container that has a lid, such as a terrarium or a large jar. Place about an inch of pebbles in the bottom of the container, then top that with about an inch of granulated charcoal, which you can find in fish supply stores. Add two inches of potting soil ^[3]and mist the soil with a spray bottle filled with clear water.
Create the base of your indoor moss garden by placing different sized stones and branched sticks to make the ground look like the forest floor. Place larger objects in the back and smaller ones up front. Place sheets of moss over the larger objects and fill in the rest of the area with crumbled bits of moss flakes. Mist the moss, cover the container and place it in a room away from bright sunlight.
Press the moss firmly onto the rocks and soil when planting. If the potting soil is fluffy, push it down to firm it into one mass. Keep the sheets of moss stuck to the rocks with fishing line, if need be. The moss will grow over the line and hide it.
Collect your moss from nearby woods or even your own backyard. Sheets of moss are most convenient, but if all you can collect is crumbled bits, they will grow just as quickly. Make sure to get permission to collect moss if you harvest it away from home.
Moss Care Indoors

Keeping moss indoors is very carefree, as it doesn’t need much moisture or sunlight and absolutely no fertilizer. Mist the surface a couple of times a week to keep the moss moist. After you mist it, replace the top on the container, leaving a small amount of space for air to exchange.
Moss care indoors includes giving the container the right amount of light. A window with about two hours of morning light is ideal if you have one. If not, place the container in the sun for a couple of hours first thing in the day, then move it to a bright spot out of direct sunlight. Alternately, you can grow your indoor moss garden on a desk with a fluorescent lamp about 12 inches above the container.

[Blitzjg]

My concerns are more so the necessity of having it in a closed environment. I thought it would be enjoyable to see the moss, unburdened (visually) by glass, and also be able to pet the moss.

That was my other concern. I think the texture of moss is amazing and think rubbing it would be soothing but I would imagine that the oils from my skin might be detrimental to the plant.

[distaff]

You live in Tuscon. Unless the container is nearly closed anyway, the moss will need to be covered most of the time. Moss and deserts don't mix. I don't know anything about skin oils damaging moss, but I never made a pillow out of mine.

Both Josh's Frogs, and NewEngland Herpetoculture should have some available, with directions for care.

Frankly, I think most of those Google How-to articles are written by "professional" authors who only gathered the info. elsewhere, and have no actual experience on the topic at hand.

[distaff]

You might try contacting the guy who has the YouTube channel, SerpaDesign.
He has numerous vivariums/terrariums, some humid with moss.

[Blitzjg]

I need to change that, I actually live in Michigan now!