lvannote, cure/leach your tufa, cause fresh tufa and crete can be caustic. Find some moss growing in an environment similar to the location for your tufa. Glue your moss to your tufa then regularly mist your tufa twice a day for about a month with rainwater or distilled. Make sure that moss gets no direct sun and plenty of shade for that month. Use 1/4 strength miracid fert or similar acidic fertilizer for acid loving plants every two to three weeks in Spring and Fall. Go to this website: http://www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk/ and download the Moss Grower's Handbook by Michael Fletcher. Page 18 tells of gluing moss to substrate, in your case your tufa. Southern Indiana, particularly sandstone areas that are shaded and frequently damp and have high humidity should have about 100 - 200 different species of moss. Look in shaded damp ravines. I have seen brachythecium growing on smooth brick. You could just pick the moss up off the brick. Only gravity and a sheltered location kept the moss in place. Generally moss needs a way to attach to a surface. In time it can atach to a rough surface, but almost never to a smooth surface. Moss found on rocks will do well on tufa. Moss found on logs or soil may not. Moss transplants best from similar surface to similar surface. Rick

The only I know anything about mosses is that I was lucky to be able to take a course in Bryology when I went to college. If you are into mosses here is a link to a pdf journal on mosses and lichens in a national forest in western Oregon. Umatilla National Forest common lichens and bryophytes The most important thing is to note the keys and the terms being used. That is the real hurdle to learning about mosses. Missouri Botanical Garden Bryological dictionary And a nice college website with images of species that may occur in your area. University of British Columbia Bryophytes images Hope this will encourage your interest in these great little plants!

Hey, Lee! Sorry for the late reply....I only stop by this Forum every few days or so. Anyhow, you'll have to forgive me but I know very little about moss species. I certainly love moss-habitats, though. As to your question regarding moss companions, I must recommend ferns! Since we are in a similar zone (7/8), I imagine that some of my fern species would work well for you, provided that these ferns are available. My favorite fern is Woodwardia fimbriata, the Giant Chainfern. Yes, it does consume a fair amount of water, but it is a fantastic plant that will help create a moist micro-climate in its immediate vicinity. As the name implies, this fern is a GIANT within four or five years. Three year-old plants are typically three feet tall by three feet wide. Under perfect conditions, Chainferns can grow to nine feet!!! (More often, six feet by six feet). So, if you have a big focal point, you might consider Woodwardia fimbriata. My next two suggestions are drought-tolerant ferns, which do quite well for me in northern California. Western sword fern, Polystichum munitum, is excellent for most applications. It grows into a nice, three by three foot mound, with attractive fronds most of the year. It will look ratty for a time, while the old fronds dry up and the new fronds unfurl. I have MANY sword ferns in my yard - I rely on them to fill spaces where other more sensitive plants might fail. The second drought-tolerant fern I recommend is known as Wood fern, or Dryopteris. I'm not sure of the exact species, but these grow superbly in dry oak woods (thus, wood fern, *dryops* meaning 'oak'). This fern is lighter green in color than the sword fern, and the fronds are more delicate. Generally, this fern only grows to about two to three feet. I grow them along the edge of the lawn, staggered with sword ferns, and as focal-pieces beside mossy oak-trunks/stumps or nice rocks. I also have several staged beneath redwoods and birches. I have about twenty of them, I'd guess (last time I went out to count, I was side-tracked by something or the other). In direct sunlight, they might stay rather compact for the first few years. To counter this, you might consider growing them in partial shade until they've sized up - either in-ground, or in containers. There are TONS of Dryopteris species, so you'll have to search around. I think mine *might be* Dryopteris spinulosa, but I could be wrong. Lastly, I'll recommend a fern that is new to me: the Alaskan fern, Polystichum setiferum. While this fern looks incredibly feathery and delicate, it is quite hardy....down to zone 5, I think. I have one in a container on my front deck, where it receives only post-noon sunlight. Mine has fronds approximately two feet long. In the summer, it is protected from direct sunlight by a large maple tree. I still haven't found the right place for it in the yard. I'll probably buy several of them this spring, as they are incredibly attractive. Josh

Chad, I just read all the moss postings today. There are a couple of web sites that I like. One of them really explains the net idea. This is part of what it says, "Available through 'Moss Acres,' the mesh netting is perhaps the best all around solution. This limp, reusable netting is UV stable, virtually invisible, and is excellent for catching falling leaves, and for protecting newly established moss from birds and rodents that like to pull up moss in search of insects, grubs and worms. This material can also perform the dual roll of functioning as a deer or bird barrier for ornamental shrubs, ground covers, or berry bushes. That site is, http://www.mossacres.com/info_4.asp and http://www.mossacres.com/info_3.asp Another site which I like is: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_plants_other/article/0,1785,HGTV_3609_1378228,00.html How is your moss garden growing? eSue