A moving spectacle

     I started gardening with mosses in 2006.  There was very little, if any, Hygroamblystegium varium growing then--but I certainly have lots of it now.  "Hygro" refers to water, and this moss loves growing near any water source.  As I have many places with water, ponds, streams, and containers, this moss, which produces prodigious amounts of beautiful sporophytes in spring, it soon established itself as a dominant moss in my gardens.  The setae (the upright stalks that hold up the spore capsules) are a beautiful red, which makes for great photos when backlighted.  The small pool in my Japanese-style garden had one stone with this moss about five years ago.  Now nearly 20 stones there are covered with it.