I've always loved this idea. I have a few orchids done this way sitting on my windowsill in the kitchen but not hanging from a string. Keeping the moss alive is a challenge since it's so dry here. You have to keep it constantly moist.

I also have these little hanging terrariums with little pennyworts growing in them.

Mary, what keeps the soil together?

you wrap the bonsai soil in moss then you tie the whole thing up with a cotton thread all around it to hold the form. Eventually the moss will grow and hold things together.

John, You're right about them drying out fast. Maybe I'll gift mine to my sister in Ventura and my friend on Kauai. They may do better there.

I used New Zealand sphagnum moss, which comes dry but if you keep it moist for a couple of weeks it should come back alive, but mine never does since it dries out. I haven't tried any other moss. It'll help out if you keep it inside a terrarium like this

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/wide+terrarium.do

Yeah, maybe I'll do that. I'm reminded why I quit container gardening here in Pheenie. Thanks Raim...btw, the soil balls I made are a mix of coconut coir and clay. The ones with moss around them are these 'sheets' of moss from Michaels.

the sheet moss you get at craft stores will not grow back and they're also died with green chemical. It'll leech out as it gets watered and will turn brown eventually. If you want live ones I'd check out eBay or etsy for live sheet moss.

harumph. Good to know. Thanks.