Grace Goodley-Student Response to Moss Gardens

 We have discussed in class during our Ecology of Eden presentations, the damage that comes with the perfectly manicured lawns associated with suburban American homes. First visually, they reflect very little of the nature actually created every minute of every day. Secondly, the pesticides and lawn maintenance chemicals used to maintain this look stand to affect not only the natural world but our physical bodies as well. In every sense, the well-manicured and high maintained lawns we have been socialized with for quite some time now are growing old and tiresome. My personal preference and experience in alternative landscaping have centered around growing up with a moss-based backyard. In this space, we have lots of shade and tree coverage with little drainage, creating the perfect environment for a moss base, or moss garden, to form and flourish. This environment has allowed for nontraditional means of landscaping to occur, we simply let grow whatever wants to grow. This mostly hands-off approach, we do trim from time to time as its combination with the grass local to our area, has seen the growth of wild strawberries and multiple different species of wildflowers native to Virginia. This step back from controlling nature towards the direction of letting nature express itself how it pleases has deepened my family's connection with the natural world as well as our appreciation for it!