Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
How to Make Hanging Moss Planter Spheres or Kokedama
I was going to wait to make these moss planter spheres until we moved to a shadier area, however the ferns that grow out of our cabbage palms in the shade in our Florida yard encouraged to create them now. These moss planter spheres are a lot easier to make than I thought they’d be and they look cute in our trees. Read on to learn how to make a mossy planter sphere for the shady areas in your yard.
My Japanese Art Inspiration
I’ve been pulled to explore more Japanese art process and forms lately. These moss balls or moss spheres I’ve created are also called Kokedama. Learn more about the living art form on The Spruce’s website here. They can be hung in trees OR they can be placed in a clear container in your home. From my days of making Shibori in college and on HGTV to exploring things like Kitsugi, I love Japanese art and the meaning behind it.
Moving to Georgia
We plan to move to Georgia into a heavily wooded area. The neighborhood we are looking at has tons of ferns hiding among the trees. After visiting the neighborhood in northern Georgia, we fell in love with the forest area. I saw this moss sphere project in a magazine years ago and while it will be a perfect addition in our future Georgia shady yard, I decided to make them while we are still in the process of selling our Florida home.
The moss spheres, hanging in our cabbage palms
Currently living in Florida, the forests here are lined in tons of warm weather loving trees, including cabbage palms. Did you know that a palm tree isn’t really a tree though? Botanically speaking palms are actually classified as grasses and you can learn more about them here. Some may argue cabbage palms have a bark, therefore are a tree, but I have to go along with what science can prove.
Ferns love indirect light
Ferns Don’t Like Flooding
I think I was “called” to make these moss spheres while still in Florida to help beautify our yard a little more. The hurricanes, from Ian to Milton, that hit our little Sanibel Island from 2022 to 2024, destroyed many plants like the cute little ferns we had growing out of trees and in the shady ground areas of our yard. Thankfully some have been sprouting back out and it’s so good to see them again! The air plants are still in recovery.
While I don’t want to plant any in the ground again (Sanibel can flood and has during the large hurricanes), the moss spheres are a perfect solution as they can be hung in trees. They are also super cute. They provide beauty but they also provide a habitat and shelter for our little lizard and bug friends. Did you know that ferns have been used throughout history as a natural fertilizer, food and more? Read more about ferns here.
The ferns love this shady spot in our yard
Can I Use Another Shade Loving Plant?
You can use a different shade loving plant for this project. Just do some research while selecting a plant about their need of light and how they do in different types of environments. My moss spheres do include a way to keep their roots from rotting out, but they do stay mostly damp here in humid Florida, so you must have a plant root that can tolerate this.
Ferns like indirect light and some species can be drought tolerant. Just check the labels on the plants while making your selections to know what will do best in your environment.
The ferns are thriving in our shady yard areas
I made my moss planter spheres in our outdoor sink that I also use as an elevated dog bath. See the elevated sink tutorial here on our website. I’ve also made cute macramé plant hangers for our porch plants that were too short to hang on their own. Get that tutorial here or below in our 1-minute video or via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Now for the project! While I got many of my items at Lowe’s, you can also find them at Walmart and Amazon, and I’ve included links below.
Moss sphere supplies
Here’s what you need:
Potting soil (I used this tropical version with lava rocks to help with the drainage)
Small plant that loves shade (I used small ferns in 3 inch pots from Lowe’s, Walmart has similar ones here)
Sphagnum Moss (I got mine at Lowe’s but Amazon and Walmart has it, it’s often seen in orchid pots)
Cotton String or Twine (Amazon)
Larger cotton string or cord (like a thick macramé string) for hanging (I had mine already, but you can get a similar one on Amazon
Sheet Moss (I got mine at Lowe’s, but Amazon and Walmart has it)
Scissors
See the 1-minute video tutorial for this above or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden.
How-To:
Place some soil in the large stainless bowl. I put around 4 cups or so into the bowl, then soaked it with some water to make it sticky and muddy, but not “soupy” wet. You want it to be able to hold a ball form.
The dirt should be slightly muddy and stick together
Take your fern out of its pot and gently shake it loose of the dirt around the root. I didn’t get it all off the root, but a decent amount. I used my fingers to gently remove some too.
Gently removing the dirt from the root
Add some sphagnum moss around the root and wrap some string around it loosely to hold it in place. Knot it to keep it in place. This moss will help your root not rot and helps with drainage. Wet it a bit.
The sphagnum moss helps the roots not rot
Form a ball with your muddy dirt (from the first step) around the fern’s sphagnum moss covered root. The dirt will help give nutrients to the fern to keep it living. Lay out your sheet moss and place it around the dirt and wrap the moss with the cotton string to keep it in place. This takes some effort and a little time, but it will work! I wrapped mine fairly tight to keep the dirt and moss in place and to shape it into the ball.
Making Kokedama Japanese art
I tied the string to another loose piece (the end I started with) and set it down.
Forming the Kodedama
I cut some larger string and tied it to each side of the moss ball (I tied it onto the smaller string) and it looked like a “fern purse”.
A moss sphere or kokedama
I watered the balls with my outdoor sink faucet and then hung them in a shady cabbage palm I our yard.
Adding string to hang the kokedama
I could see the string through the moss, but you could use a darker string or even a brown or green cotton string instead. Seeing the string didn’t bother me.
Kokedama to hang in our trees
I water the moss spheres a couple of times a week, being careful to not over water.
The completed Kokedama
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Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.