What is the best mossy like ground cover for a low land/wet area?

Question

I have an area of my back yard that dips down to a creek. I would like to utilize this area with terrazo stone and fill in with some kind of a mossy ground cover. Need suggestions. I am in Western Michigan and this is shaded area all day. The trees along the creek side are mostly large Maples and are doing very well. Every couple of years we reseed grass between the house and tree line. We are getting tired of it and would like to make this area into a seating area and fire bowl. The dip is not severe it just gradually declines and all water seems to flow through this area. I would also appreciate ideas on how to place stone without leveling the land.Or if there is another type of stone that I can place down and ground in to great somewhat of a surface ??? Suggestions greatly appreciated! Michele

Answer 1

Kinda two questions, the rock and the ground cover. Not sure quite what you mean about replacing the stone, but re the mossy ground cover:

Western Michigan could be USDA Zone 3-6.

Scotch moss is hardy zones 4-9b, so you'd need to determine if you are in zone 3 by the map in the first link below.

It is a lighter green than Irish Moss (neither of whicth are mosses at all, really)

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2909...

Irish Moss has similar hardiness.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2910...

Almost mossy looking is your Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile )  is low growing, smells nice when you walk on it, and has little white daisies.

Canadian wild ginger isn't mossy. but rather woodsy, likes shade, likewise wild strawberry. wild ginger, wintergreen, spotted nettle, lily of the valley, vinca, myrtle, crown vetch, birdsfoot trefoil, and euonymus.