Moss Graffiti

30 min

What Will You Learn?

The possibility of growing moss graffiti occurred to me during one of those dull days at work when your thoughts wander. A quick internet search showed me that I wasn’t the first person to ask the question “How does moss grow?” In fact, many genius gardeners had even come up with a recipe for a moss milkshake! Next I wondered if you could use this recipe to grow your own designs and create a kind of moss graffiti, and it would appear that you can!

Gather Moss

Step 1

First gather together several clumps of moss. You can find moss growing between the cracks in paving stones, near leaky drains, on trees … basically, moss loves damp and shady places. Mosses do not have roots but use rhizoids to attach themselves to surfaces, meaning that you can easily collect moss by hand or with a spatula.

Step 2

Clean off as much of the mud as possible by soaking it in water.

Make the Moss Milkshake

Step 3

Put the moss in a blender and add beer (or yogurt or buttermilk) and sugar.

Step 4

Blend just long enough to create a smooth, creamy consistency, like a thick milkshake.

Step 5

Pour the mixture into a plastic container.

Create your Design

Step 6

Find a suitable location onto which you can apply your moss milkshake (a good indicator is somewhere that moss is already growing).

Step 7

Paint on your chosen design (either freehand or using a stencil).

Tend your Graffiti

Step 8

If possible, try to water your masterpiece daily with a spray mister. Soon, the bits of blended moss should begin to recuperate, maintaining your design before eventually colonizing the whole area.

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