The Japanese word kokedama translates to English as "moss ball," and such simplicity is the very essence of this elegant garden art form. An accompaniment to the practice of bonsai, kokedama is a type of kusamono—an ornamental planting meant to be displayed on its own, not to be confused with shitakusa, which is a planting meant to be viewed as a direct complement to a bonsai.Essentially, it is a ball of mud covered in moss and planted with a single or multiple specimens. Kokedama is either suspended from string, mounted to a piece of driftwood or bark, or set in a shallow dish. Traditionally, this ancient practice relies upon foraging wild materials like grasses and live moss to evoke a sense of season and environment. But it is easy for the typical home gardener to cut corners and replicate the aesthetic without trekking into the wilderness.
