Skip to content

Top Navigation

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Home
  • Garden
  • Holidays
  • Videos
  • current issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Midwest Living

Midwest Living Midwest Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • On Chicago's South Side, a New River Trail Guides the Way Through Nearly Two Centuries of Black History

      On Chicago's South Side, a New River Trail Guides the Way Through Nearly Two Centuries of Black History

      Paddlers on the 7-mile-long American Heritage Water Trail learn the stories of African Americans who fought for freedom and equality. Read More
    • This 136-Year-Old Nebraska Ranch Welcomes Guests to Create, Work and Learn From the Land

      This 136-Year-Old Nebraska Ranch Welcomes Guests to Create, Work and Learn From the Land

      In a far-flung corner of northwest Nebraska, guests come for an experience that unfolds over miles—a story about a fragile ecosystem and the tough woman trying to preserve it. Read More
    • A Pair of Flower Farmers Sows a New Beginning—Twice—in Madison County, Iowa

      A Pair of Flower Farmers Sows a New Beginning—Twice—in Madison County, Iowa

      Jenn and Adam O'Neal put down roots at Pepperharrow Farm, a 20-acre homestead near Des Moines—and worked with nature to bring it back to life after a devastating 2022 tornado. Read More
  • Travel

    Travel

    See All Travel
    Take a Day Trip to Charming Winona Lake, Indiana—Just 2.5 Hours from Chicago and Indy

    Take a Day Trip to Charming Winona Lake, Indiana—Just 2.5 Hours from Chicago and Indy

    In the sweet Indiana town of Winona Lake, restored cottages house shops while boats ply a peaceful canal.
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Family Travel
    • Around the Region
    • Beyond the Region
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Nebraska
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • South Dakota
    • Wisconsin
    • Free Travel Info
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    Grill Your Biggest, Best Burger Yet with Chicago Chef Erick Williams

    Grill Your Biggest, Best Burger Yet with Chicago Chef Erick Williams

    The James Beard Award winner dishes on eating out, honoring roots and upping your burger game. (Hint: There’s a fried egg and bacon involved.)
    • Comfort Foods
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Chicken
    • Soups & Stews
    • Midwest Favorites
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Fish
    • Grilling
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    A Designer Turned Her Childhood Friend's Home into a Masterful Mash-Up of '70s and '80s Decor Hits

    A Designer Turned Her Childhood Friend's Home into a Masterful Mash-Up of '70s and '80s Decor Hits

    Shared style crushes help a designer pull from childhood memories to shape a new Chicago area home for a long-time friend.
    • Quick Decorating
    • Featured Homes
    • Organizing & Storage
    • Outdoor Living
    • Seasonal Decorating
    • Room Decorating
  • Garden

    Garden

    See All Garden
    New Rose Varieties for Frills, Fragrance and Victorian Charm

    New Rose Varieties for Frills, Fragrance and Victorian Charm

    Old-timey blooms are back in vogue—and none more so than roses. An Indiana pro shares her growing tips and recommendations.
    • Container Gardens
    • Flowers
    • Featured Gardens
    • Midwest Gardening Calendar
    • Garden Ideas & Inspiration
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    Fresh and Colorful Summer Salads

    Fresh and Colorful Summer Salads

    These bright, healthy salads—with veggies, fruits, hearty grains and more—are gorgeous enough to star at your dinner table or a picnic spread.
    • Easter
    • July 4th
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
  • Videos

    Videos

    See All Videos
    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales

    Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work.
    • Brighten Your Front Door with This Colorful Easter Egg Wreath
    • These DIY Orange Beeswax Candles Will Make Your Home Smell Amazing
    • Ring in the New Year with This Glam Star Garland
    • How to Make a Modern Fruit Cake Box
    • An Eye-Catching Oval Treat Box You Can Make
    • Make a Colorful Paper Raffia Wreath to Welcome Fall
    • How to Make a Dried Floral Arrangement
    • How to Make an Easy Pina Colada
    • How to Make an Amazing Pavlova
    • How to Make Pumpkin-Spice Icebox Cake
    • How to Make an All-Butter Pie Crust
    • DIY Pistachio Wheat Stalks for Fall Decorating
  • current issue

    current issue

    See All current issue
    About Us

    About Us

    • March/April 2022 Issue
    • January/February 2022 Issue
    • November/December 2021 Issue
    • September/October 2021 Issue
    • July/August 2021 Issue
    • May/June 2021 Issue
    • Summer 2022 Issue
    • Fall 2022 Issue
    • Winter 2022 Issue
    • Spring 2023 Issue
    • Summer 2023 Issue
  • Sweepstakes
  • Road Rally
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Email Preferences
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Win Your Dream Getaway!
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Magazine Issues
  • Destinations
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Midwest Living
  2. Garden
  3. Container Gardens
  4. How To Make a Moss Dish Garden

How To Make a Moss Dish Garden

By Midwest Living editors Updated March 16, 2023
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Pedestal dish moss container garden

Moss dish gardens allow you to get up close and personal with a lush green landscape. Our step-by-step instructions get you started, and 6 dish garden designs with complete plant lists give you inspiration for your own creation.

Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Miniature Moss Garden Basics

Miniature moss dish garden

This miniature moss dish garden includes Brachythecium rutabulumand moss, Dicranum scoparium moss, reindeer moss (Cladonia spp.) plus an ebony spleenwort fern (Asplenium platyneuron) and stone accent for visual interest.

Our step-by-step instructions show you how to make a miniature moss garden; we also give you ideas for different containers and plants.

Related: 15 Spring DIY Garden Ideas

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 1: Gather Materials

How to create a moss dish garden -- gather materials

You'll need a drill with ceramic bit, pea gravel, fern, skewer, spoon, surgical clip, well-draining potting mix, accents, clippers, moss, landscape fabric and ceramic dish.

2 of 12

3 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 2: Drill a Drainage Hole

How to create a moss dish garden -- drill drainage holes

Pour water on the dish, enough to just cover the bottom of the dish. The water will settle the dust and cool the drill bit as it heats up. Begin drilling at a 45-degree angle to create a groove and stablilze the drill bit. Slowly turn the drill upward until it is flush with the dish and there is a hole through the center of the dish. Then wash the dish.

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 3: Create Your Base

How to create a moss dish garden -- pea gravel

Line the dish with the landscape fabric to prevent rock and potting mix from clogging the drainage hole. Top the landscape fabric with a thin layer of pea gravel.

4 of 12

5 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 4: Fill Your Dish

How to create a moss dish garden

Layer well-draining potting mix on top of the pea gravel. Then lay the groundwork, like your stone accents and your fern. Use a kitchen spoon to dig holes for your plants, if necessary. Lay moss and lichen on top of the potting mix by firmly pressing down. Start with the largest piece and work your way down in size.

5 of 12

6 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 5: Cut Moss to Size

How to create a moss dish garden -- trim moss to size

Use clippers to trim large pieces of moss, but the moss should still be a little larger than the space allotted so the edges can be tucked in. 

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Step 6: Finishing Touches

How to create a moss dish garden -- finishing touches and care

Tuck the edges of the moss into the dish. A bamboo skewer works well for tucking, but any tool will do. For a clean look, use a surgical clip to remove leaf debris.

Garden care: Water thoroughly and press mosses down to make good contact with one another. To encourage the moss to attach, begin a two-month regimen of watering deeply every week, misting between waterings; adjust frequency depending on rainfall and time of year.

Where to put your garden: Keep it in a shady spot on your deck, patio or garden with conditions that mimic those of mosses living in nature: indirect light and rainwater. You can supply the water or mist if nature isn't cooperating. It's OK to bring your dish garden inside for short periods of time, but it will do best outdoors.

7 of 12

8 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pedestal Dish Moss Garden

Pedestal dish moss container garden

Dicranum scoparium, Dicranum scoparium with saprophytes and Plagiomnium cuspidatum mosses make their home in this pedestal dish alongside dwarf mondograss (Ophiopogon japonicus) and striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata).

8 of 12

9 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Petite Birdbath Moss Garden

Petite birdbath moss dish garden

This small birdbath became a miniature landscape with the addition of ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron), bluet (Houstonia caerulea), mosses Dicranum scoparium, Luecobryum glaucum, Polytrichum commune, Plagiomnum cuspidatum, Hypnum imponens, Climacium americanum and Thuidium delecatulum, and Parmelia lichen.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Moss Bowl Garden

Moss bowl dish garden container

An oversized glazed bowl bursts with Dicranum scoparium, Luecobryum glaucum, Thuidium delecatulum and Anomodon rostratus mosses. Non-moss accents include hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' and ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron).

10 of 12

11 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Tree Trunk Moss Garden

Tree trunk cavity moss garden

This tree trunk cavity holds the mosses Dicranum scoparium, Polytrichum commune, Bryoandersonia illecebra, Climacium americanum, Thuidium delecatulum, Anomodon rostratus and Entodon seductrix. For contrast, the trunk also includes resurrection ferns (Polypodium polypodioides), Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata), downy rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens) and ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron).

11 of 12

12 of 12

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Lush Vintage Box Moss Garden

Lush livestock feed box moss garden container

A vintage livestock feed box has been transformed into a lush moss garden with the addition of Luecobryum glaucum, Campylopus introflexus, Thuidium delecatulum and Entodon seductrix mosses and Parmelia lichen-all contrasting with the showcase plant, a 'Tamukeyama' Japanese maple (Acer palmatum dissectum). The box is underplanted with striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) and ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron).

Related: Container Gardens Just Right for the Midwest

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Midwest Living editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 12 Miniature Moss Garden Basics
    2 of 12 Step 1: Gather Materials
    3 of 12 Step 2: Drill a Drainage Hole
    4 of 12 Step 3: Create Your Base
    5 of 12 Step 4: Fill Your Dish
    6 of 12 Step 5: Cut Moss to Size
    7 of 12 Step 6: Finishing Touches
    8 of 12 Pedestal Dish Moss Garden
    9 of 12 Petite Birdbath Moss Garden
    10 of 12 Moss Bowl Garden
    11 of 12 Tree Trunk Moss Garden
    12 of 12 Lush Vintage Box Moss Garden

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Midwest Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Contact Us
    • Help
    • Free Newsletters this link opens in a new tab
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Renew this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Affiliate Program
    • Free Travel Info this link opens in a new tab
    • Special Promotions this link opens in a new tab
    • Sweepstakes this link opens in a new tab
    • Video
    • Home Advisor this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithMidwest Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab Do Not Sell My Personal Informationthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Midwest Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.midwestliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    How To Make a Moss Dish Garden
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.