It's a MOSS-have! Why gardeners' great green enemy is now a friend - and experts are advising them to allow the weed to flourish
It colonises the roofs above our heads, garden walls, cracks on the pavement – anywhere where it's not wanted.
And for decades gardeners armed with rakes, brushes and pressure washers have gone to war with moss. No longer – for experts are now urging us to let it flourish because it can help absorb water in damp, boggy gardens and aid biodiversity. And its use is about to be boosted by the Chelsea Flower Show next month, where it takes centre stage in several show gardens.
Highland Moss, a garden centre in Aberdeen, says sales are up 140 per cent compared to last year, and by 270 per cent since 2023.
Co-founder Pamela Adamiec told The Mail on Sunday: 'People are incorporating moss into everything from small terrarium projects and bonsai moss bowls to large Japanese-style gardens and even compact outdoor carnivorous bog set-ups.'
The growing popularity is also driven by a need to feel connected to nature.
She adds: 'We're seeing increased interest due to the health and environmental benefits – moss can absorb carbon, produce oxygen, filter air pollutants, prevent soil erosion and runoff, conserve water, and boost biodiversity.
'It's also a low-maintenance alternative to grass – staying lush and green through winter in the right conditions, making it both beautiful and practical.'
Experts are now urging us to let moss flourish because it can help absorb water in damp, boggy gardens and aid biodiversity
Highland Moss, a garden centre in Aberdeen, says sales are up 140 per cent compared to last year, and by 270 per cent since 2023
Highland Moss is providing the plant for The Wildlife Trusts' British Rainforest Garden, which will feature at Chelsea Flower Show next month
Highland Moss is providing the plant for The Wildlife Trusts' British Rainforest Garden, which will feature at Chelsea.
Its designer, Zoe Claymore, says British gardeners should 'stop fighting' the plant and 'let it grow'.
She said: 'A lot of people have forgotten it's a plant, and see it as something to scrub off, to get rid of.
'They see it like dirt, but it's an amazing plant. It's often overlooked because it's usually the backdrop to something else.
'If you have a shaded, wet area, rather than fight it, embrace it.'
British Garden Centres – the UK's largest garden centre chain – has also seen growing interest.
Head of plants Julian Palphramand said: 'Customers want the type of product that you can grow in and through paving and landscaping to create a greener area.'
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