Having a rock garden laced with mosses in a shady location has a lot of eye appeal, and it is definitely a low-maintenance proposition. Moss also has that characteristic of making gardens look well aged and established. When rock is brought in from outside of your property, it has the tendency to look out of place. The addition of mosses will help hide the fact that the rocks are that new. Moss adds a weathering look so that the rocks will not look like they are out of place.
The downside with growing moss is that it can take a lot of years to achieve the look that you desire. Believe it or not, there is a trick to this, and it can actually accelerate the rate at which the moss grows and thickens. Start with a fistful of porcelain clay and 3 cups of water. Mix them together to form a thin paste. Add one cup of undiluted fish emulsion. Once you have all this mixed together, add a cup of fresh shredded moss.
Take a paint brush and paint it thickly on the rocks in your shaded rock garden area. Remember that moss has certain preferences that it grows best in. Moss likes cracks and crevices in shady, damp locations. It grows the most naturally in patches and likes the north side of objects. If you use this formula in shaded areas where it stays moist a significant part of the time, chances are you will have patches of moss appearing on those rocks in your shaded rock garden within three to four weeks.
Another recommendation, as with most plants, is to protect your mosses from the wind as much as possible. Wind can really suck the moisture right out of the air and that can spell instant death to your hard work.
