Moss for japanese garden
Moss in Japan's Gardens | Garden Design
In gardens around Japan, moss is used to create spaces of deep tranquility and transcendent beauty. By Susan Heeger
It seems fitting that my husband and I got lost on our way to Saiho-ji, arguably the most famous moss garden in the world but one carefully tucked away from it, on the outskirts of Kyoto. To reach the 1,300-year-old temple grounds swathed in at least 120 kinds of moss feels like tearing an opening into contemporary Japan. That modern context, a maze of tile-roofed houses winding up and down around the garden’s elusive entrance, trapped and confused us, until a sympathetic local resident parked her bike and showed us the way, as she’d clearly done for other tourists. Just in time, we reached the gate with 40 or so others, all of whom, like us, had written ahead for permission to roam through four-and-a-half acres of plants that the Japanese revere.
Moss lines the bank of the pond at Saiho-ji. Photo by: Robert Essel NYC/Corbis.
Mosses—the shy, shade-loving greens that favor undisturbed spots like tree trunks and riverbanks—thrive in misty climates and tend to show up where they like, not where gardeners put them. An entire landscape of mosses requires coddling. From visitors, it demands exquisite attention to detail—or at least a calm and open heart.
To instill that almost reverent receptivity, the monks at Saiho-ji have established a ritual that all visitors must participate in before touring the grounds. In a temple hall filled with small, low wooden desks, we were asked to sit on the floor with pen and ink and trace the printed characters of a sutra, or Buddhist scripture—a job that took well over an hour. While we worked like docile children, the monks chanted, enfolding us in worshipful, transporting music. By the end of the session, everything seemed sharper, clearer—colors and sounds, every green silhouette.
A mossy path winds through the garden at Renge-ji Temple.
Photo by: Allan Mandell.
Having been so primed, we found it impossible to rush through Saiho-ji, to overlook, with our sharpened eyes, the innumerable variations on the theme of moss as we walked the path around a pond amid centuries-old cryptomeria trees. The forms of rocks and trees rose muscular and assertive through the mosses’ gentleness, suggesting natural forces that grapple and shift, achieving temporary harmonies through eternities of time. Being there, we experienced time as an infinite present. We stood in a living shrine, breathing the mystery.
Moss is an element in many Kyoto gardens, including those at the Okochi Sanso villa. Photo by: Allan Mandell.
One of the reasons we went to Kyoto was to revel in moss—usually more of a bit player in landscapes—as a central feature, the main event. In Japan, moss is regarded as an essential element: a symbol of harmony, age, and tradition. For at least 1,000 years, Zen monks have celebrated its presence in written descriptions of temple landscapes.
During our visit, we saw how modern homeowners weave it into private courtyards and front gardens, among paving stones, along curbsides and fences, and as a linking wash between bonsai trees. Even in these tiny spaces, moss joins the disparate pieces, knits rock to earth, pulls individual plants into unified compositions.
A friend of ours, Ken Kawai, who teaches landscape architecture at Kyoto University of Art and Design, took us through several gardens in the city and explained the appeal of moss. “Covering the surface of the earth, mosses strongly express the landform,” he said. “But at the same time, they are so fragile that you cannot step on them. This coexistence of visual strength and physical fragility is what makes mosses so compelling to the human mind.”
Moss at Tofuku-ji Temple. Photo by: Lisa Romerein.
While nowhere as widespread as it is at Saiho-ji, moss grows in virtually all Kyoto’s best-known landscapes, from small-scale tea gardens to the sprawling grounds of imperial palaces.
At Ryoan-ji, the most famous dry Zen garden, moss is the grounding element, an island of green around many of the 15 iconic rocks edged in raked white gravel. At Koto-in, a sub-temple of the larger Daitoku-ji complex in Kyoto, moss blankets a field beneath a forest of maples, creating an utterly simple, tranquil scene. At the Shugaku-in Imperial Villa garden, moss clothes a pond’s sloped banks, slowing and filtering the downhill flow of water, which becomes a mirror for surrounding trees.
Moss at Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavilion). Photo by: Kristen Elsby/Esthet Photography/Getty Images.
Even in these long-established gardens, it’s hard to tell the planted mosses from the squatters. “Mosses invited themselves into the gardens of Japan and thereby invented moss gardening,” George Schenk wrote in Moss Gardening (Timber Press; 1997), his authoritative book. This idea became clear to us as we walked through Saiho-ji, thinking about its unique history. In the 700s, a priest named Gyoki built a temple in these mountains west of Kyoto’s center, and some 600 years later, the Zen priest and famous garden maker, Muso Soseki, conceived a landscape around the remnants of an earlier garden he had found on the site.
His design—which preserved some elements of the previous “paradise garden,” a version of heaven on Earth—reshaped the original pond with its three iconic islands into the form of the Chinese character for heart, which resembles an incomplete trapezoid. The circumnavigating strolling path was his addition, as was the dry cascade of rocks.
Mosses abound in Yakushima Island’s ancient rain forest. Photo by: Ippei Naoi/Getty Images.
Yet the garden’s most celebrated aspect, the legion of mosses in different shades of green that swath hummocks and hills and mound around the pond, almost certainly arose on its own in the humid climate. Long after Soseki’s time, in the wake of wars, natural disasters, and neglect, the verdant carpet (primarily from the Leucobryum and Polytrichum genera) sprouted and spread on these shady slopes, suggesting a place much more natural than designed. Which raises the question: Exactly what defines a garden if most of what appeared on its original map has changed or disappeared? Is its expressive force rooted mostly in nature itself, or in the human imagination that persists and creates, despite the certainty of change?
Muso Soseki viewed the contemplation of landscape as a route to enlightenment.
As an element of the considered landscape, moss invites self-forgetfulness. Its tiny details suggest realms normally beyond our perception. At Saiho-ji, I couldn’t help but get down on my knees before it so I could really understand what I was seeing. There’s so much more to it than what first appears: On the micro level, the soft moss carpet breaks into infinite, intricate parts—miniature tree shapes that resemble the mighty evergreens that shelter them.
Groundskeepers remove debris from moss at Nara-koen Park, in Nara. Photo by: Lisa Romerein.
Just as it changes with point of view, moss also changes with the seasons, becoming, as Kawai told us, “vital and brightest in June, a preciously quiet time for the gardens in Kyoto after the nationwide festive periods of April and May, with their cherry blossoms and fresh leaves.” By fall, the greens of moss dim among Japanese maples that flame red and gold, the tree leaves a stark contrast to the mossy carpets.
Still, for us, having traveled to Japan during cherry blossom season, a sense of specific time seemed absent at Saiho-ji.
As we wandered the paths, it didn’t feel like spring, or even morning or afternoon. It was time suspended, a light breath held, a break from thinking and evaluating. Change in this deep green realm is subtle, and the comfort of this place arises mostly from its air of benevolent endurance. Saiho-ji has been here for ages; it will be here many more, eclipsing loud, contemporary life with its muffling mosses. For the moment, primed by our ritual awakening, we were just ready to receive—and to be received by—this soft, unfolding world.
More moss info
Learn about the different types of moss and the basics of growing moss in our Moss Guide as well as how to cultivate more moss with A Moss Milkshake.
RELATED: Add Some Zen to Your Landscape
How to add Japanese Zen-style moss (koke) in your garden? -
Table of Contents
Japanese Zen-style moss gardens display unique tranquility. Is it possible to add moss to your garden to have the same serene and meditative effects? I will depend on where you live.
In general, mosses do not like hot and dry weather.
As a rule of thumb, moss prefers dark, humid areas where no other plants would want to be.
However, there are some species that thrive in relatively sunny/dry areas.
Once you decide where to plant mosses, you may want to furnish the area with landscaping fabric (as weeds are mosses’ enemies). Then add a thin layer of soil that efficiently drain water.
One of the important details you need to know about mosses: they don’t have real roots that can suck up water. They are there only to support the structure, therefore water need to be taken in from the moss parts above the ground. As I assume that they don’t have good capacity to hold water inside their thin bodies, you may want to give them less amount of water at a time but do it more frequently. For example, you can mist them before the Sun goes up (or down) like morning dew. This is a pretty significant difference between moss and grass.
As moss does not have a root system to hold water and grow stable underground foundations like grass, it doesn’t seem that it’s a good candidate for lawn. However, I read some articles that said “moss lawns are easy to grow and maintain.” I am not sure about that – unless you live in a humid climate where the Mother nature takes good care of your mosses even when you aren’t looking. If you are beginner, I recommend starting from a small patch.
杉苔(sugi goke, Polytrichum juniperinum)
杉苔(sugi goke) is the most popular moss used in Japanese gardens. Among the sugi-goke family, 大杉苔 (Osugi goke) is the most frequently used species. They usually prefer part Sun, but some experts say you could grow them in full Sun.
スナ苔 (suna goke, Racomitrium japonicum)
Suna goke can thrive in relatively sunny, dry areas but can also tolerate some humidity. It’s not a flashy kind of moss because it doesn’t grow high and the texture is not very glossy but will be a good species for a beginner.
ハイゴケ (suna goke, Racomitrium japonicum)
Hai goke means crawling moss. As the name suggests, it grows horizontally and tolerates heat and dryness better than other species. This one is also good for a beginner.
Moss garden design ideas
In karesansui (dry Zen rock garden), small mounds (with different sizes) are created as miniature mountains, then covered with moss.
Moss species usually prefer humid, shady areas. If you live in an water-rich area that doesn’t get too hot, you could try full-fledged moss garden even with some waterbody.
Rocks are indispensable part of Japanese gardens. Moss-covered rocks are beautiful accents.
Stone bridges are used frequently in traditional Japanese garden.
Trees can also be covered by moss, although I have no idea how many years it takes for it to happen. Some of the famous Zen moss gardens in Kyoto are several century years old.
Yama goke, or shiraga goke (Leucobryaceae) family is one of the signature mosses in Kyoto Zen moss garden such as Saijo-ji.
It has smooth surface and beautiful deep green color. It doesn’t thrive under the Sun, but doesn’t like direct rain either although it needs adequate humidity.
Mosses are also planted next to the fences, approaches, entrances etc. where you have a good amount of shades.
Modern karesansui style designed by Mire Shigemori.
How to plan your visit to Saihoji (koke dera) in Kyoto
How to add Japanese Zen-style moss (koke) in your garden?
Design of machiya (Japanese townhouse): from traditional to modern
Saiho-ji Zen garden: 1000 years-old amusement park produced by nature
Ginkakuji: the labyrinth of wabi-sabi
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Horyuji: How do you make wooden buildings that last 2,000 years?
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Moss, Japanese culture and environmental protection
The culture of love for moss that has developed in Japan is rare in the rest of the world.
It is especially noticeable in Japanese gardening art, in which it was mosses that became the embodiment of the spirit of wabi-sabi.
People tend to neglect moss - small, inconspicuous and not giving flowers. Nevertheless, in one of the countries a culture of reverent attitude towards mosses has been formed. This country is Japan, where more than a thousand years ago people noticed mosses, saw the meaning in their existence and even made them the embodiment of the aesthetic feeling so characteristic of Japanese culture wabi-sabi : the search for beauty in simplicity and serene tranquility. As a result, mosses have become an important element of the plant world, revealing the culture of Japan, and even won a mention in the national anthem.
Mosses penetrate deeply into the daily life of the Japanese and in its present form. Leaving the house for a short walk, it will not be difficult to notice kokedama - compositions in which an earthen ball wrapped in moss is used for a plant instead of a clay pot, as well as other small plant decorations, one of the elements of which is moss.
And on the pages of travel magazines, it is not difficult to find offers to go on a trip to admire the view of primeval mosses. It doesn't take much effort to find a traditional-style Japanese restaurant where you can enjoy the view of a mossy Japanese garden right at your meal. In recent years, attention to mosses has noticeably increased, and the expression koke garu . This is the name of women who especially like moss. Competitions are held among koke garou . There is hardly another culture whose bearers have such tender feelings for mosses as the Japanese do. What explains such a strong penetration of mosses into the culture of Japan - up to the very everyday life of its inhabitants?
Decorative composition of mosses and herbs (author's photo)
Moss decoration with figurine (author's photo)
Yakushima Primordial Forest. The feeling of denseness that mosses create is one of the highlights that attract trekking enthusiasts (photo by the author)
Mossy garden as the epitome of wabi-sabi
Understanding the connection of mosses with Japanese culture, first of all, it should be noted the exuberance with which these plants are represented in Japan.
Our country, located in the Asian monsoon climatic zone with a large amount of rainfall, is one of the corners of the world with a special wealth of mosses: over 1700 species are distributed throughout its territory. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that the Japanese from the earliest times endowed the existence of mosses, visible in everyday life, with many meanings. nine0003
For example, the word kokemusu “grow moss” expresses the idea of infinitely long time. We owe its appearance to mosses - koke , which take a lot of time to cover the surface of an object. Another expression is koke no koromo , "clothes of moss" does not mean robes made of moss, but the modest vestments of a monk. The sight of moss, which does not embellish itself in any way, is likened to the honest poverty of a monastic dress. At times, moss among the Japanese is closely associated with thoughts about life and death. Evidence of this is the expression "under the mosses", meaning what awaits a person after death.
In this expression, one can also see the connection with eternity through death, to which a person comes, no matter how long his life path is. Sakura is often associated with the concept of death among the Japanese. This is because the rapidly flying petals of cherry blossoms act as a kind of personification of the attitude to death of a samurai warrior, whose ideal is to die bravely in battle. The similarity between luxurious sakura and modest mosses is that both of these plants, which are so contrasting with each other, are associated with the Japanese attitude to life and death, and this has a deep meaning. nine0003
Mosses and cherry blossoms. Both are closely related to Japanese culture (photo by the author)
Although, as noted above, the Japanese see many different meanings in mosses, modern man is probably closest to understanding the Japanese vision of beauty and style. Let's try to trace how the Japanese sense of beauty has changed. In Japan during the Heian period, mainly among the aristocracy, an exquisite culture spread, appreciating the beauty of various plants and flowers - sakura, Japanese plum tree, scarlet autumn maples, etc.
But then, in the Middle Ages, other factors that influenced cultural life, such as Zen Buddhism, the tea ceremony, etc. gave rise to a different understanding of beauty in Japanese culture, expressed in words wabi-sabi. Moss has become a plant expressing this very concept of beauty. It ideally represents the meaning of these concepts - growing quietly, discreetly, not decorating itself with flowers, and at the same time of pure color, as if letting light through itself. So moss, never before at the forefront of human attention, began to bathe in its rays. In particular, it has become an integral element of the quintessence of Japanese harmony - the Japanese garden.
The Japanese garden of Eigenji Buddhist Temple in Shiga Prefecture fills the spirit of wabi-sabi (photo by the author)
Moss decorates the Japanese garden at the Nakano Art House Museum in Niigata Prefecture. The use of mosses in landscaping art is a characteristic Japanese feature. (Photo by the author)
The origins of the Japanese garden lie in antiquity, dating back approximately to the Asuka era.
But, as it is believed, moss was not specially grown in the garden in those days. Even in the Buddhist temple of Saihoji, whose territory is completely covered with mosses of such beauty that it is known to the whole world as the "temple of mosses", moss, apparently, was not used at the time of its creation (during the Muromachi era). nine0003
The Japanese Garden of the Saihoji Buddhist Temple in Kyoto Prefecture, which is known worldwide as the “temple of mosses”, is recognized as a World Heritage Site (photo by the author)
people began to see the beauty of landscapes, which are decorated with moss. Now the beautiful Japanese gardens, overgrown with mosses, even began to be called "moss gardens." They are very varied. There are carpet-type gardens where mosses cover the surface like a carpet; there is a variety that imitates natural landscapes - reflections of nature, and there is a variety in which moss forms patterns of a geometric nature. nine0003
Moss-carpeted garden at Sanzenin Buddhist Temple in Kyoto Prefecture. Mosses cover the entire surface of the garden. (Photo by the author)
The mossy garden is a reflection of nature at Ryutanji Buddhist Temple in Shiga Prefecture. In this garden, the mosses represent the islands, and the stones represent the mountains. (photo by the author)
Patterned moss garden at Tofukuji Buddhist Temple in Kyoto Prefecture. Moss and stone slabs create an expressive checkered pattern (photo by the author)
Variety of mosses in Japanese gardens
Mossy gardens are not only beautiful. They perform an important function in protecting moss diversity. Even in the hearts of big cities, gardens with over a hundred species of moss often contain rare species. The secret lies in the design of Japanese gardens. One design option is to use the technique shukkei , a miniature landscape. It consists in the fact that large natural objects are depicted in a greatly reduced size, for example, a boulder becomes a reduced copy of an impregnable mountain cliff, and small pebbles depict sea waves beating at its foot.
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Recreated by this design, the changing natural environment becomes a guarantee for the development and well-being of tiny mosses. For mosses, the miniature environment of gardens is the real big nature. As a result, a wide variety of mosses are able to grow in a small space of the garden. The richness of garden mosses also has a unique scientific value. In conditions when the development of the urban environment leads to the disappearance of mosses, mossy gardens take on the functions of a kind of oases that make their existence possible. nine0003
The Japanese Garden of the Hakone Art Museum in Kanagawa Prefecture exhibits a diverse and changing natural landscape. The diversity of this landscape allows different types of mosses to exist. (photo by the author)
A living indicator of environmental degradation
But in recent years, the mosses of Japanese gardens have become increasingly threatened. It arises due to the fact that the way of life of a person gives rise to a phenomenon called "thermal dome" - the so-called heat islands covering urban areas. A heat island occurs in areas whose surface is lined with concrete and other artificial coatings, where thermal energy emissions that accompany human activity accumulate and, by raising the air temperature, lead to environmental changes. A well-known feature is that the effect of a thermal dome makes it difficult for the air temperature to drop from dusk to dawn. And mosses are vegetation on which this effect is reflected very strongly. nine0003
Young, fresh and tender moss of the genus Racomitrium japonicum. Moss, which absorbs nutrients with its entire surface, is extremely sensitive to changes in its environment (photo by the author)
Unlike trees and grasses, for mosses, which absorb moisture and nutrients with their entire surface, morning dew and fog are an important source of moisture. But since the phenomenon of the thermal dome prevents the decrease in air temperature, the frequency of occurrence of dew and fog decreases. According to archival data, if at 19In the 60s, fogs appeared in Kyoto about 30 times a year, but with the onset of the 2000s, they practically stopped.
At the same time, it became obvious that the mosses in the gardens of those places that are highly exposed to the thermal dome react to this change in the environment, dying, as if on command. The disappearance of mosses, which create a mood of modest simplicity and a touch of antiquity, can without exaggeration be called dangerous for the Japanese culture of creating gardens.
Cuckoo flax moss dried up due to the occurrence of the thermal dome phenomenon. Mossy gardens face crisis (author's photo)
Because mosses are sensitive to changes in the environment, as shown by the heat dome example, they are often used as a biological indicator of ecological conditions. Closer examination of the mosses reveals changes in the environment that previously did not attract our attention. Similar to the degradation of mossy gardens due to urbanization, in the rural environment, mosses disappear into forests, which are harmed by an increase in the number of deer. nine0003
The wooded slopes of Mt. Odaigahara (Nara Prefecture) used to be covered with mosses. As a result of degradation due to being eaten by deer, in just about 30 years, these forests were overgrown with saza bamboo (photo by the author)
Moreover, analysis of mosses deep in the mountains indicates that these plants accumulate, reaching high concentration levels, substances, brought due to atmospheric pollution far away on the continent, obviously signaling environmental pollution on a planetary scale. Ultimately, this process will inevitably spread to flora, fauna, and then to humans. Maybe we humans should make an effort so that the message with which the mosses address us with their almost indistinguishable whisper reaches everyone? Perhaps the future course of development of all mankind depends on whether we listen to the whisper of mosses. nine0003
Banner photo: Japanese-style garden at Rurikoin Buddhist Temple in Kyoto Prefecture, where mosses beautifully set off the colorful fall foliage. (Photo by the author)
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Moss Garden - LiveJournal
The idea of a traditional Japanese garden is a Shinto philosophy, according to which the world around is perceived as "filled with the primordial forces of creation.
" Traditionally, in Japanese gardening, mosses were highly valued as a natural and highly decorative part of the landscape. Japanese gardens have been known since the 7th century AD, the earliest ones were the successors of Chinese traditions, but after a short time the gardens acquired their own unique face, character and style, reminiscent of the Japanese landscape. The moss gardens coexisted alongside the sand garden as a special kind of park, where surface textures and different shades of green were accentuated. nine0003
Many amazing moss gardens can be seen in Kyoto. Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan, the climate of this area is created by the mountains surrounding the city, which provide constant humidity, the rainy seasons create excellent conditions for the growth and survival of mosses. Saihoji Monastery is home to one of the most famous moss gardens, Saiho-ji.
Founded at the dawn of Japanese Buddhism, Saihoji Monastery was planned as a garden from the very beginning.
Monk Gyoki during the Nara period (710-794) founded a temple, next to it was laid a typical garden for that time with ponds, on which it was possible to ride boats, pavilions, gazebos and islands. During the internecine wars, the buildings burned down several times, and the garden was practically destroyed. The famous gardener monk Muso Soseki (Kokushi) in 1339 restored the garden with a reservoir in the form of the hieroglyph "heart" and islands where white herons nest, with picturesque stone compositions and ladders.
After the death of the master, his students continued to work for a whole century. As the garden revived, mosses naturally began to grow in it, and Muso Kokushi made them the basis of the garden. Today, there are 130 species of mosses in the Moss garden. nine0003
Mosses cover with a thick carpet not only stones, but also the space all around. White herons have returned to the islands and nest. In addition, the presence of moss indicates the good ecology of this place.
The garden of Saihoji Monastery is located near the famous Kokedera (Moss Temple), the extensive park consists not only of a moss garden, but also a "dry" landscaped rock garden. The famous moss garden is located at the eastern base of the temple. In the center of the garden is a pond, which is shaped like the Chinese character for "heart" or "mind", made up of three small islands. nine0003
Dating back to the feudal era in Japan (12th-19th centuries), moss gardens have become part of the Japanese tradition. Translated from Japanese, “koke” means “moss”, and “dera” means “temple, sanctuary”, hence the name of the temple (garden) of mosses “Kokedera”. Already a thousand years ago, Zen Buddhist monks wrote about mosses in temple gardens.
Saihoji Garden has been closed to the public for many years. The tourist boom from all over the world led to disastrous consequences, mass visits began to affect the state and species composition of mosses and the moss garden was closed to the general public.
