Helen Nodding - Moss Graffiti

I let someone local (!) know about my blog. Regular readers will have gleaned that I don't tell friends about this, although I had alluded in the past to the existence of 'something' I hadn't actually told her details. So anyway, I outed myself on Thursday when I visited her (and took this moss photo outside her flat) and it felt ok. Scary, but ok.

Today sent me a link that is worth a quick blog. It's for a post on Supernaturale which I'd not visited for a while. It features Helen Nodding who has a recipe* for growing moss and is using it to create natural live graffiti! This is definitely up there in my list of approved vandalism like guerrilla gardening. Helen also does other wok like miniature architecture - I though Ulla would like this one.

* Moss Recipe - makes several small pieces or 1 large piece of graffiti

1 can of beer , 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Several clumps garden moss, cleaned of dirt and rocks

You will also need a plastic container (with lid), a blender and a paintbrush

To begin the recipe, first of all gather together several clumps of moss (moss can usually be found in moist, shady places) and crumble them into a blender. Then add the beer and sugar and blend just long enough to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Now pour the mixture into a plastic container.

Find a suitable damp and shady wall on to which you can apply your moss milkshake. Paint your chosen design onto the wall (either free-hand or using a stencil). If possible try to return to the area over the following weeks to ensure that the mixture is kept moist. Soon the bits of blended moss should begin to re-couperate into a whole rooted plant – maintaining your chosen design before eventually colonising the whole area.

Recipe courtesy of Helen Nodding via Supernaturale.