The Free Solution Already In Your Yard That Gives Porch Planters An Upgrade

If you have planters on your porch, chances are you want them to look classy and appealing in order to help enhance the overall look of your outdoor space. However, when decorating your home with plants, some elements – such as the bare soil at the top of the pot — can end up looking a little uneven or messy, often distracting from the plant itself. But one free material, which may already be readily available in your yard, is great for upgrading the tops of planters: moss.

Mosses like to grow on moist and chilly surfaces. They generally appear on north-facing spots as these areas get the most protection from the direct sunshine that tends to dry them out. As such, you may be able to find moss in your own yard by checking between stones or cracks in the pavement; these spots give moss shelter and offer additional moisture. Moss can also be found in the wild — that said, taking it from protected areas such as national parks is generally considered to be illegal. To be safe, it's best to collect moss from your own property or from areas in which foraging is clearly permitted.

How you go about doing this stunning DIY planter idea largely depends on what's in the planters already. If your planters are filled with fake flowers that don't need watering, you could follow the example shown by ourlifeontheridge_ on Instagram and surround the stems with a thick layer of foraged moss. This is a good option if you prefer low-maintenance planters as you simply need to collect the moss from your yard — moss doesn't have roots, so you can usually just pull it up with your hands — and lay it around the base of the flowers. The moss may turn brown or fade over time, which is actually good for a more muted, desert-style look. If you prefer a green aesthetic, however, you can refresh it with a mixture of green food coloring and water – or you can replace it with fresh moss from your yard. You can also add extra twigs or sticks collected from your property to create an even more dynamic landscape.

Alternatively, if you have planters full of living plants, you can create magical moss-covered decor by laying collected moss over the soil. However, it's important to keep in mind the effect the moss will have on the dirt underneath. Adding moss on top of soil can cause it to retain more moisture — after all, that's what the moss is built to do. So, while a moss topping is a good option for moisture-loving plants, it might not be the best option if your planter contains plants that are prone to root rot or prefer drier conditions.