How to Make an Outdoor Moss Bench or Seat

Grow moss on an outdoor bench for a soft seat in a shady garden. The interesting texture and emerald green color of living moss turns a cheap, mass-produced concrete bench into a natural garden accent. Moss grows well in a damp, shady location, so you can decorate this whimsical bench with shade-loving flowers. Use impatiens in old wooden buckets to add a bright spot of color, or plant lily of the valley around the base of the bench to add a touch of whimsy.

Concrete or stone bench
Wire brush
Square-blade shovel or putty knife
Soil
Bucket
Trowel
Blender
Buttermilk
Wallpaper glue brush

Instructions

- 1
  Scrub your bench with a wire brush to roughen the surface. Place the bench in a shady, moist location.
- 2
  Gather moss by scooping it from the ground with a square-blade shovel. Also scoop up 1 inch of the soil under the moss. Scrape moss from a rock with a putty knife, scraping as close to the rock as possible. Gather moss from a location similar to the location of your bench -- a spot with the same shade and humidity level.
- 3
  Fill a bucket half full of soil, and add a small amount of water. Mix the soil and water to make a thick mud. Make it the consistency of a milkshake. The amount of water needed will depend upon the moisture level of the soil. Spread a 1/2-inch-thick layer of mud over the bench with a trowel.
- 4
  Cut the moss into 6-inch squares. Blend a square of moss with a cup of buttermilk in a blender.
- 5
  Pour the buttermilk mixture evenly over the mud on the bench. A cup of mixture should cover 2 square feet of surface. Use a wallpaper glue brush to coat any areas where you cannot pour the mixture.
- 6
  Water the bench every day for three weeks. If the weather is dry, water it twice a day. Keep the moss healthy by keeping it in the shade and moist.

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