This post was originally published in April of 2011. I’ve italicized the original text.
“That ol’ moss” was given to me by a sweet lady named Addlee. I only met her a couple of times, and hadn’t seen her in several years. Last week, I read her obituary in our local paper. She was 90.
When I was growing up, my mom had a plant growing outside in an old enamel dishpan. It required very little care and it “came back” every spring. By the end of summer, it was trailing down the sides of the pan. Mom didn’t know what it was, and I never knew how she came to have it. But I always liked it.
Whatever happened to the old dishpan and the plant, I can’t say. Looking back, I wonder why I never asked Mom for some of it for myself. I’m sure she would have shared.
Through the years, I had always kept an eye out for it. I never saw it at any greenhouses or nurseries and never saw it growing in anyone’s yard.
Until about five years ago. I took an elderly friend to visit a neighbor, and I spotted it. She also had hers planted in an old dishpan. (Maybe it should be called the dishpan plant?) She probably thought I was a crazy person, the way I ran from the car to get a closer look at it, then ran back to her asking what it was. She said: “you mean that ol’ moss? I don’t know what it’s called”. Her name for it was ‘that ol’ moss’.
But she had lots of it growing around a couple of trees. (Guess you don’t HAVE to grow it in a dishpan.) And she offered me all I wanted. I was so excited to finally find it.
Now I have it growing in areas all around our yard. This picture was taken a little over a month ago.
This picture of the same area was taken yesterday. That ol’ moss is fast-growing stuff. It makes a great ground cover, and in a few weeks, will briefly have tiny yellow flowers.
And yes, I even have some growing in an old enamel dishpan.
That ol’ moss is now growing in several areas of our yard, and I’ve shared “cuttings” of it with many of my friends. (I’ve even sent some to Texas to my blogging friend, Pix.)
I’m sure this sweet plant will continue to remind me not only of my mom, but also Ms. Adlee.
~These Days Of Mine~
these days of mine 
I have some of that in a few places in our yard – great little groundcover and you can easily transplant clumps of it all over the place and it “takes” if it gets enough sun. That’s a nice “back story” though for you to have found it again after remembering it in your Mom’s old dishpan.
Pam
I thought at first that it is Baby’s tears, called Mind your own business in England, but that has tiny rounded leaves and tiny green/white flowers so it must be something else. Lovely to have found it again, so do enjoy its memories!
What a sweet memory. I’ve seen it too, but didn’t know what it was called until you ‘educated’ me in the previous blog. Enjoy!
I love that ol’ moss story and stuff! I’ve always thought you should open one of those cute cottage corner stores and sell (or trade) all the wonders you find.. it would just be hard to let go of them. Love the trailing vines and creeping mosses that reach out of silly or sweet containers.
I thought this title looked familiar ! .. such a good reminder of Addlee to have in so many places ..
How awesome that you found it again!! I love it, so pretty. It would look great anywhere in the yard..