Mini Moss Wall Hangings at Westport
Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of hosting Craig Melvin and the Today Show team at our Westport location, where Deb Herbertson from our Design by Terrain team showed Craig how to create mini moss wall hangings for the home. These petite versions were a big hit, and we finally caught up with Deb this week to chat about the large scale moss walls that inhabit the Connecticut store. Read on to hear Deb’s inspiration, her “planting” method, and the simplest maintenance instructions.
“My initial inspiration for these large moss walls came from a visit to the west coast,” Deb says. She explains that while there are living plant wall installations all around Los Angeles, keeping a vertical garden alive is “challenging if you don’t live in sunny LA!” Instead, her “goal was to come up with something that had the beauty of a living wall, but was essentially care-free.” She imagined “the forest floor, but framed at home.”
“Moss is a magical ingredient in nature and was the perfect medium for these pieces since it’s preserved,” Deb explains. “To achieve a natural look using preserved and faux elements, it’s important to use quality materials. Here, this includes large pieces of preserved clump or mood moss along with several different colors of dried reindeer moss. In nature, the forest floor has many wonderful layers. We added driftwood and faux tillandsia to add dimension and interest, and to give the wall a focal point.”
As for the mechanics of putting a similar hanging up on your own wall at home, it can be as simple or complex as you want it to be, depending on the size and elements of the wall,” Deb says. "All pieces start with the construction of a backed frame. When you’re using larger elements like driftwood, it is best to screw that on before adding the moss. We have found that spray foam insulation is the best glue. We sprayed it directly on the wood, then placed the moss on top. This is the fun part! It is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. I like to think of these walls as nature’s tapestries. They are such a great way to add something beautiful and elemental to your home,” she explains.
And since none of the components of these pieces are living, there’s no watering necessary! Deb’s only piece of care advice is to “avoid the moss from fading with age, I would suggest not hanging it in bright sunlight.”
Interested in your moss wall hand-crafted by one of our talented Design by Terrain team members? Visit your local store or get started here!
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