Moss Lawns
Alessandra Capasso
A Preface to Moss Lawns
The beauty and benefits of moss lawns are thought-inducing for surrounding communities. Those who witness it will likely consider the value of sustainability and ecological biodiversity in our environment. Moss lawns are simply lawns that use moss, a fitting alternative to grass used commonly in communities such as the United States. Grass requires an exhausting frequency of upkeep with the common results of an imperfect lawn. Moss, however, can maintain itself and use less of our resources providing a game-change to landscape architecture that will provide health to our environment. One country that could teach others about how moss can positively embellish lives is Japan.
Moss lawns encompass the theme of the significance of sustainability and the health of the environment as well as the theme of the beauty of our nature (which embraces artistic expression). Moss lawns fit the theme of sustainability and health for the environment since they require far less care than grass lawns in exchange for more benefits than grass lawns. For example, grass requires many more accommodations as it fits a specific type of environment, needs to be cut frequently, needs fertilizer (which is a pollutant), and needs a lot of patience. Moss could use some accommodations such as acidic and compound soil which can be solved with sulfur, but it needs much fewer resources than grass does as some additional rain will suffice for moss care. Moss is also supportive of biodiversity since it attracts many animals that could be considered visually pleasing including insects, reptiles, and birds to create a healthy food web and an appreciable biodiverse environment. The theme of the beauty of nature created by moss lawns is supported by the view of the moss lawn practice as an artistic expression because of their serene appearance and how they have the capabilities of attracting more beautiful life creating a feeling of unity and tranquility. Additionally, moss lawns can be personalized by any artist who wants to start one up in a unique way of expression.
This image showcases a moss garden as a product of typical Japanese Gardening. Japan is known for its work in Zen gardening for the public to enjoy. The origins of this image are not clear since all cities Kyoto, Fukui, and Tango are listed in the creator’s upload description, but the region Kansai could be denoting of where the image was taken. It was uploaded on January 1, 2014.
A moss carpet is displayed in Triennale, an art and design museum in Milan. The texture and life in the real moss carpet reveal the diversity and beauty of nature. According to Makoto Azuma, “my work for this exhibition shows the encounter and coexistence of two lifeforms with different origins. Living things connect strongly and straightforwardly, and conceal unlimited possibilities.” The Japanese artist Makoto Azuma additionally has an extensive history of botanical sculpting to show nature