March 2022

"The Art of Kokedama"

Presented by: Jean Storck - Sogetsu School

Kokedama is a form of Japanese garden art comprised of moss, soil, string and living plants formed into a ball. It is thought to have been associated with the ancient art of Japanese Bonsai. Koke means moss and dama is ball in Japanese. Moss is special to the Japanese. Moss represents the concepts of beauty, simplicity, humility and refinement, as well as the aesthetics of wabi and sabi, transience and imperfection. It is believed that moss invited itself into gardens, and around the 14thcentury, some Zen Buddhist monks recognized the serenity it gave to the garden and gave value to its presence.

Kokedamas are a fun and unusual way of having plants around the house. They are easy to make and can be fun for the whole family. These moss balls can be placed in trays or suspended from a string or wire. Jean's demonstration showed an easy and minimally messy way of making these moss balls. The roots of small plants are first covered with a mud ball, which is then wrapped with moss and tied with string. See how it's done and enjoy these photos.

Click on the first photo to enjoy the slide show of full-sized photos!