thanks for the responses! creeping jenny looks awesome - i would be so happy if that would work. however, as alabamanicole points out, we may have trouble because of the incline and the soil quality. i'm not sure the ratio of the slope. there are two tiers - broken up by a sidewalk, and then it levels out at the top of the hill where the house begins. the bottom slope (beneath the sidewalk) is slightly less steep than the one above it. both are way too steep for comfortable walking. the upper slope is almost completely vertical. i would LOVE to encourage the moss, and add other mosses to the mix, but i am concerned that the only reason any of these patches are thriving now, is the shade and protection provided by the long grasses and weeds. i've only ever seen moss thrive in shady conditions. i suppose it would behoove me to test the acidity of the soil, and figure out how many hours of straight sun the yard is getting. i appreciate the suggestions. thanks!

zuchem the company is called Easy Gardener. It may be hard to find a company that will ship this product to Colombia. I would try amazon.com. I know they sell it but it is expensive. Something like $ 16.00 American for a 32 ounce spray bottle not including shipping. A half teaspoon of liquid kelp per liter of water sprayed on the leaves (Top and bottom) in the early morning every 2-3 weeks may be as good or better. It also stimulates root and plant growth and discourages many insects. It can also be used as a drench. Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Gardener

Hi Annie, Don't worry about too much afternoon sun and leaf burn, especially if you're planting in the ground. Sango kaku is fairly sun and heat tolerant. If you keep it watered properly and give it a year or two to adjust to it's new environment it will do well. I live in Los Angeles (Hollywood). I moved from a place that faced north to a place that faces west. My container maples are now getting direct sun from about 12:30p to about 6:00p - 7:00p. They are doing better than I expected. A little leaf burn on the most delicate Shindeshojo, but not as much as I expected. I was going to put up shade cloth, but I'm finding that not necessary. I am finding that this extra light is better for them. Next year they should be acclimated to their new environment and exhibit less leaf burn. It's better to protect from desiccicating winds like you have. Though I've never tried anti-transpirants I would avoid using it on a prized Sango kaku. You have to remember that transpiration is a natural and necessary part of plant biology. Plants need to transpire. http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/T/Transpiration.html Layne

Dwarf mondo grass, partridgeberry? Might not be any easy, and economical choice, for those conditions. The ginger's probably not a good choice for between stepping stones, if it likes the conditions, it would get too large, if it doesn't like the site, it just won't grow and spread much at all. What about the ginger on the sides of the path, and the dwarf mondo grass between the stones, that would be cool! Just not sure how they might handle it, if it stays soggy too long. They both seem to do well being on the dry side.