More than likely what comes off that tree is Lichens and not moss, although both are first stage plants Ma Nature grows to add organic matter to soil so higher order plants can grow in that soil. Lichens grow on trees where dust from the air accumulates in the bark and traps just enough moisture for those plants to grow. What is knocked off by the birds can be left where it falls, mixed into the soil, or picked up and composted.

geez pam ... thanks for the wonderful comments... and you are welcome for any knowledge i have passed along ... WHAT ARE YOU.. IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION... lol ... you just assigned me a doctoral thesis ... and i am sorry to say ... it isnt going to happen ... lol .. THAT IS THE REASON I GIVE THE OVERVIEW PIX... oops ... and then pix of every plant there.. you will have to figure out how to compare the view to the individual plants .... try opening two windows.. one left on the overview.. and one to scroll thru the pix .... flipping back and forth .... historically ... i would build a bed a year in advance ... designing it with hoses .. and my lawnmower .... and then spend the year getting wood chips and killing grass... and applying chips ... all the while collecting plants ... i try to plant all the new plants in one bed.. makes aftercare much easier ... all the recent transplants in one locale.. that is why you will find similar sized plants all in one bed ... i still have pix of the north pasture to post ... but the holidays seem to be interfering with time ... we will get to them ... for a given bed.. i tend to think.. one green.. one blue.. one yellow .. some small.. some large.. so.. size.. shape, size, color ... then throw in variegated .... i am not really a 'plan it all out' guy .... and think about prostrate.. upright... etc .... it would be the difference between an engineer and a gardener ... lol ... when planting.. tall in back... small in front... etc ... review the various posts... look at the overviews... ask any specific questions ... thats why i am posting .... happy holidays... ken

I remember how difficult it is to get started when you have a bare, flat yard. I kept staring out the windows, trying to imagine what I could plant where. It helps if you have someone stand outside while you look out the windows. Have your helper walk around from place to place, waving his/her arms, and maybe even holding a broom up overhead. Try to imagine your helper is a bush or a tree. When your helper gets to a spot that looks good from the inside, make a note of the position, or have your helper plant a garden stake (much easier to move than a tree!) Then go stand outside, or across the street, and see if that really is a good place for a tree. Use pots of annuals which you can move around until you find a space placement that suits you. THEN dig a bed. You can always set out empty boxes, or laundry baskets or even chairs to find spots for a shrub. Anything of a similar size that's easily movable will do. Here are some general principals I've found helpful. If the front is your main entrance, plant things that you will be happy to see when you come home. Start planting close to the walk and steps. This will encourage you to expand. Take it slow. I read once that you should live in a house though one set of seasons before you do any major changes. I translated that into planting annuals at first...which will have to be redone anyway. Fall is really the best time to plant trees and shrubs, as then they will get lots of rain. And, they will be cheaper at the 'year end' sales. Plant evergreens and long season perennials in the front as you and the neighbors will be looking at this area every day. Don't be afraid to take out something you don't like. Try to transplant it, or give it away. If it lives, fine, but you don't have to put up with something you don't like. Bare ground will make you feel better than a plant that irriates you. Don't plant acid loving plants close to the foundation of the house or near the cement path or sidewalk. They won't thrive. I figured this out after losing a row of azaleas, one by one. You can buy spray paint that is specially made to be sprayed holding the can upside down, so you can mark the edges of the beds. Just make sure that it isn't 'clear' paint. (Yes, it does come that way - a friend did this!) Or take a container of flour out and use that to mark plant placement or bed edges if you want a very temporary marking. The front yard is your house's public face and a place to show off your gardening skills. Rather than screening off the street, plant so that people driving or walking by will have something pleasant to look at and your visitors will find inviting. And for safety reasons, you don't want to 'hide' your house. Burglars go for entrances that are screened off from the view of the neighbors. Re paths: Make sure you leave good access to the utility boxes. Make sure you can get a lawnmower and wheelbarrow everywhere they'll need to go. You won't want low branching trees too near paths, either. If you don't have a pleasant view out the windows, one small patch of bright color will draw your eye away from the eyesore. Try a few pots of color, just set out on the ground, and see how they draw your attention. You do want to 'hide' the foundation of the house with taller, more solid shrubs. This will help transition the house into the lot, and help it look 'planted' rather than just 'plopped' onto the lot. Place lower plants further away from the house, along the path and sidewalk. You don't have to have ANY lawn in the front, but you don't have to take it all out at once, either. Have fun! Daphne in Tacoma

Well my iris are just starting to bloom, some purple poppies and my Amaryllis are getting a good start. Don't know how many more years I will get our of my iris as they don't like this climate. Looking forward to see what all comes back this year. Looks like I lost my Mexican Fire bush, shame so pretty last year. My beauty berry just doesn't seem to want to die off so I keep them down to where they can be enjoyed without taking over everything. My day lilies are starting to fill in a lot of space that needs to be used for something. Looks like one Red Texas Star Hibiscus came back with 4 shoots so it should be nice and full. No sign of my hardy hibiscus but then they do start late sometimes. Lost my tropical hibiscus and my avocado tree. Won't have as much satsuma's this year, at least not as many blooms so far. I enjoy planting herbs within my flower bed as I just don't have enough room here in the city. Paul