Gulliver's Travels 

 Algeria  November-December 2025

  Algeria is the largest country in Africa and is about 14 times larger than Wisconsin.  It has a population of 48 million, which is surprising seeing that it is largely a desert, the mighty Sahara.  After touring the coast along the Mediterranean Sea, I first flew southwest to the interior to the oasis town of Taghit, near the border with Morocco.  Next, I flew to the far south into the heart of the Sahara to the city of Djanet, where I was absolutely overwhelmed by the stunning beauty of the massive black rocks scattered amongst the red dunes.  This was the fourth time I'd been to the Sahara, and it is my favorite of all my visits there.
​

An ancient Berber leader

The capital of Algiers has many beautiful buildings.

Monument to the rebels who led the revolution from 1954 to 1962, when the French colonists were overthrown

The Roman city of Cherchell

Cherchell Museum, with Roman mosaics and sculptures

Royal Masoleum of Maueretania, built in 3 B.C. for King Juba II

On the road from Algiers to Constantine

Djemila, UNESCO site of the Roman town of Cuicul, built in the 1st Century A.D.

When ya gotta go, ya gotta go...but no toilet paper!

Palace of Ahmed Bey, built in 1826

Emir Abdelkader Mosque, built in 1994

Taghit Oasis near Morocco

Ancient petroglyphs

And here is the Sahara.

Paintings from some 10,000 years ago

My shadow appears at sunrise where I camped out for two nights.

And here, after standing for a few moments, with huge dunes 15 miles in the distance, I broke down in tears, just overwhelmed. You had to be there to get that feeling. I would have paid the $3000 trip cost just to be there.

Lots of tiny shops in the town of Djanet, this one a knife maker.

Epilogue

The Sahara, from a distance, seems as though it has been dead forever. But the many petroglyphs I saw mean people must have lived there in the past.  And they did.  The Sahara began about seven million years ago when the ancient Tethys Sea dried up.  But it has fluctuated between dry and wet periods for the last 2.5 million years, the wet periods called North African Humid Periods.  The last one occurred from 5,500 to 11,000 years ago, after which its current state of desert began.  But many scientists believe another humid period is on its way.  So, if you don't want to visit Algeria because it is largely a desert, stick around and go when it greens up again.

Next up: Argentina and Uruguay
​Dale

Gulliver's Travels

Washington and Wyoming 
September-October 2025

   Last fall I visited two places that I worked in during two summers when I was in college, Wyoming and South Dakota in 1961 and Washington in 1964.  In 1961 I worked for the US Forest Service in the Black Hills near the border of South Dakota and Wyoming.  After I started working there I got a job for Vic Schiegg working in the restaurant at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial.  He can't remember me doing that for him.  He's now 85, so....well, I won't say it.  I also visited Grand Teton National Park for the seventh time and a bit of Yellowstone National Park, though most of the park was closed for the winter.

   In 1964 I worked on a fire lookout tower, along with various other jobs, for the US Park Service in Mt. Rainier National Park.  I visited there and nearby Mt. St. Helen's National Monument and Olympic National Park.

​  Then I went north to Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker in North Cascades National Park near the Canadian border.  Tom Westover lives only a couple of miles from my way there, so I called him and left a message asking if we could meet for dinner that evening.  I suspect he thought that I expected a free dinner...as he never returned my call.  He's 83, so maybe...well, I won't say it.

   I also visited two fantastic gardens near Seattle.  I made sure to get out of there before the famous winter monsoon hit, as I didn't want to grow webs between my toes.  Tom should send us a photo of his toes to show why I was fearful of that happening.
​

Mt. Rainier, 14,411 feet high, where I worked in Summer 1964

My fire lookout on Mt. Fremont, with Seattle in the distance 90 miles away

Sunrise Ranger Station: my bedroom was in the building on the left, second floor on the right.

Mt. Shuksan, at 9131 feet in North Cascades National Park and five miles from the Canadian border, is seen on many calendars because of its iconic shape. I've been there four times, and I FINALLY got the perfect shot, well worth the trip.

Mt. Baker, at 10,786 feet, is about five miles west of Mt. Shuksan

The Japanese Garden at the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, across Puget Sound west of Seattle

Moss-covered trees in Olympic National Park

An interesting tree trunk in Olympic National Park

Another interesting tree trunk

In the Rhododendrom Species Botanic Garden in Federal Way, 30 miles south of Seattle. It has one of the largest stumperies in the US. A stumpery is a garden with a lot of dead trees and other wood in it.

In the Rhododendron Species Botanic Garden

Mt. St. Helen's, reduced from 9677 feet to 8363 feet when 0.6 cubic miles of the mountain disappeared in an eruption on May 18, 1980

View of the north side of the mountain that blew out horizontally following an earthquake

Mt. Adams, a dormant volcano of 12,281 feet in southern Washington

Mt. Hood, another dormant volcano, 11,249 feet, just south of the border in Oregon

Crazy Horse Memorial, near Custer, SD, was started by Korczak Ziolkowski in 1948 to honor the Sioux Indigenous people. My uncle, Walt Sievert, lived in Custer and worked for the US Forest Service as a road engineer. He was a friend of the sculpturer and directed the building of the gravel road up to the mountain. My family visited the site in 1949. In 1961 when I worked nearby I talked with Casimir, the sculpturer's son, who took over the project upon the death of his father. The photo shows that the carving has picked up the pace since the lifting device was bought. I've always said that I want to be alive to watch the project from the very start until the finish, when it will be 564 feet high. Anyone want to bet if l get my wish?

A lonely trailer ascending a ridge under a foreboding sky in western Wyoming

The northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park

The back part of the Grand Teton Mountains, taken in Idaho

Steers oblivious of Mother Nature's cool clouds in western Wyoming, a waste of her effort

The front range of the Grand Tetons, at a maximum of 13,775 feet

More of "Mom's" work, a "cloud tornado"

The original J.C. Penny store in tiny Kemmerer, Wyoming, built in 1902

The interior of the store, still in business, with mechanical tubes carrying money up to the upstairs offices, similar to the vacuum tubes used in Schuette's in Manitowoc

The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, halfway between Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, has a cool B-36 seen the photo, which had 10 engines, six props and four jets.

Epilogue
   The older I get, the more I reminisce, it seems, visiting my boyhood farm, my workplaces, Late's, and on and on.  It doesn't cost much, except for some travel expense.  I've made several dozen large photo folders of all my travels.  If I ever get old...maybe I can look through them and get a slight sense of what I actually felt when I was there.  Better than watching old cowboy movies or game shows.

Next up--Algeria 

DALE SIEVERT (GULLIVER)

England and Scotland--March 2025
 
   My granddaughter, Olivia, and her boyfriend accompanied me on a trip from London to Edinburgh, Scotland.  After they returned to work, I toured Scotland, eastern England, and London on my own (via trains and buses..see below for explanation).

   England and Scotland are deceiving, as one would think they would be larger.  Wisconsin is 65,000 square miles and holds 5.9 million people.  England is only 50,000 square miles but has 60 million people.  And Scotland is 30,000 square miles with 5.5 million people.
  
   I often had real difficulty understanding people, so as Olivia was more "skillful" I sometimes called her my "translator."  A few times in Scotland and Newcastle I could barely understand five percent of what I heard.

   Though I've successfully driven on the "wrong side" of the road several times before, I was booted out of MY rental car;

(and was told by Olivia that I could not drive with her home worrying to death about me)

That was after terrorizing my two companions the first day in crowded traffic with confusing signs and roundabouts. 
Kids!!

Edinburgh Castle, built from 11th Century to 1633

Scottish Highlands

Inverarry Castle on Loch Ness (the Monster is in the black vertical area)

An abandoned house on the English Channel coast

Clifford Tower, part of the demolished York Castle, where 150 Jews committed suicide to avoid forced Christian baptism in1190 in the city of York

Tower of London, built in 1073 A.D.

Tower Bridge over the Thames River, built in 1894

St. Paul's Cathedral in London, built from 1675-1710

Buckingham Palace, built from 1703-1837

Victoria and Albert Museum in London built in 1852

Windsor Castle, founded by William the Conquerer and built in the 11th Century

Winchester Cathedral, finished in 1093, is 558 feet long

Stonehenge, built from 3100 B.C. to 1600 B.C.

Roman baths, built in 70 A.D. in the city of Bath

Birthplace of William Shakespere, built in the 15th and 16th Centuries in Stratford-on-Avon.

Ann Hathaway's Cottage, home of Shakespere's wife

Yorkminstir, built in York from 1220 to 1472

Cliffs of Dover, made of limestone and 350 high

Canterbury Cathedral, founded by St. Augustine in 570 A.D.

Church in Canterbury

Parliament, or Westminster, and Big Ben, built in 1016 A.D.

British Museum in London, built in 1753

Statue of Lord Nelson in Trafalgar Square, victor over the Spanish and French at Trafalgar in 1805

Kew Gardens in London, started in 1869

Hadrian's Wall, Roman fortification against the Scots, 73 miles long, begun in 122 A.D

Stirling Castle in the Scottish Highlands, mainly built from 1490-1600

Olivia and Nate in the Lake District

Cavern Club, Liverpool, where the Beatles gained fame

Epilogue


   My wife, Dorothy, never visited England...and probably never would have, as once when we watched an English TV show she asked me, "Why do they TALK that way?"  She also probably would not have liked driving on the "wrong side" of the road.  But then she would have missed the enormous amount of historical, architectural, and natural sights that are jammed into such a "tiny" country.  It does pack a wallop, so if you've never visited it, consider going there.  And as the folks there speak English (sort of, that is), you should be able to get along.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal  Part 3
Following my guided tour to Bangladesh and Bhutan in February 2025, I took a short flight along the Himalaya Range, over Sikkim State of India, to Kathmandu, Nepal.  I spent only four days there, as I've trekked in the Himalayas of Nepal on two earlier trips, in 1999 and 2007.

   Nepal is almost entirely mountainous, having eight of the ten highest peaks in the world, including Mt. Everest, which I've now seen three times.  It's only about half the size of Wisconsin, extending 500 miles from east to west and 90-150 miles from north to south.  It has only 30,000 people, but it is growing at 3.7% per year, which will lead to it doubling in population in only 18 years.
​
   Nepal had a monarchy until 2008, after which it became a republic.  It is multi-ethnic, with Hinduism being the main religion, even though Buddha was born there.
​

Flying along the Himalayas, just west of Mt. Everest

The tallest mountain is Mt. Everest, at 29,002 feet high.

Rice terraces on the outskirts of Kathmandu

Farm houses outside Kathmandu

Just a bit of pollution in Kathmandu

Five young ladies in The Garden of Dreams in Kathmandu (where I dreamed that American ladies would dress like them rather than wearing "rags")

Unesco site of Bhaktapur, the royal palace of the Malla kings of Nepal, started in 1427 A.D.

The architecture is simply stunning.

Ditto in this photo

Still more, wondering if it will never end

Nope, only with this photo

Except for this beautiful woman

And this elegant couple

A happy little girl

"OK, WHERE is the short?"

Swayambu Temple, also known as the Monkey Temple because of the ubiquitous monkeys living there

The "eyes" of this stupa represents the "all-seeing" nature of Buddha.

Prayer wheels These monkeys seem to like each other.

The guy who owns this bus just might have something there Patar Durbar Square, with 21 gold pinnacles, was started in 1637 A.D.

Patar Durbar Square

The approaching man is not impressive sartorially...but the two women, WOW!

This is a Hindu crematorium site, where up to 11 bodies are burned, after which the ashes are tossed into the river...very much unlike Evergreen or Calvary Cemetery in Manitowoc

It. was surreal to be so close to the burning bodies.

Many Hindu men hang around the crematorium, usually attired a bit unusually.

​Epilogue 

  I was born too late.  Given that I never want to leave Wisconsin and that I love mountains so much, I should have lived here 1.8 billion years ago when the Baraboo Range and the Penokee Range near Hurley were about as tall as the Himalayas.  It would have saved me lots of money traveling there five times, including twice to the Karakoram Range of  Pakistan, my favorite mountains, sometimes considered part of the Himalayas. 
​ 
   One of the greatest regrets of my life is not climbing mountains earlier.  My first "big" summit was Mt. Rainier in Washington, at 14,410' in 1973.  Next was Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, at 19,840' in1993.  My most grueling climb was Ampato in the Peruvian Andes, where I reached 20,100' of that 20,600' peak with no supplemental oxygen and eight pounds of hiking boots on each foot and only 43% of sea-level oxygen content at age 57 in 2000.  My guide told me, pointing out the summit, "Dale, there is the summit. You can probably make it but you will likely die before getting back down."  He sensed that I had serious mountain sickness coming on, so I immediately told him, "That's it, let's head back down, as I achieved my main goal, climbing higher than 20,000 feet." Going down to our camp I couldn't walk a straight line and fell over 20 times from sheer exhaustion.  The next day I spent in bed from weakness.  But, it was one of my favorite experiences of my life.

   The Rockies are great, as are the Cascades and the Sierra Nevadas, and the Andes, but the Himalayas are, at least for me, the pinnacle (no pun intended).  Go there...if you can, even at 83.

Next up: England and Scotland

DALE SIEVERT

​Part 2--Bhutan

   Bhutan packs a punch for such a small country, only a quarter of the size of Wisconsin with about 800,000 people.  It is all tucked into the Himalaya Mountains, so it has tons of beauty, natural as well as architectural.  It is a kingdom, with 75% of the people practicing the state religion of Buddhism, and 23% being Hindu.  It is the only country in the world that is carbon negative, partly because their constitution requires at least 60% of the land area be forested. Manufacturing facilities are practically non-existent, as agriculture and forestry dominate the economy.  Ostensibly, the country is not wealth-seeking, as the government seeks to measure not GDP (Gross Domestic Product), but GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness).   However, as polygamy is legal, I was often trying to figure out how the latter would not work against the former.
​

In the distance is the statue of the Great Buddha Dordenma.

The statue is 169 feet high and was built in 2006.

Simtokha Dzong Fort, built in 1628, but is now a monastery.

Druk Wangyal Llhakhang Temple at the 10,171 foot-high Dochula Pass

109 chortens were built in honor of the military that thwarted a coup in 2003.

Paro Dzong (or fortress), built in 1645, but is now a monastery

The interior of Paro Dzong

Punakha Dzong, built in 1638

The cylinder is a prayer wheel, which is rotated by hand while praying

Interior of the monastery complex

Three monks who live in the monastery

Three locals wearing traditional Bhutanese menswear

In Paro, where strict building codes are in effect that prohibit "the unusual"

Buddhist prayer flags, commonly seen in Bhutan

One of several unusual road signs I saw to encourage safe driving

Man in traditional dress

Tiger's Nest Monastery, 10,240 high, built in 1692

A bit of a road hazard

Sort of an unusual shop

I've seen sex shops before...but this one takes the cake

A man in traditional dress doing his shopping

Three young girls, destined to be the three wives of some man?

Yes, even "traditional" men can become phone addicts.

Two young monks

Two more young monks, one probably an addict

​
Epilogue
   Happy people, contributing to a high Gross National Happiness?  Extremely friendly and hospitable, as I read several comments say?  I can't say that I saw either.  Actually, very poor Bangladesh seems to be the "winner" in the GNH "sweepstakes," though, of course, I experienced a tiny sample size in both countries, and my "evidence" was highly anecdotal, so possibly a bit overstated.  Still, it was fun and interesting to observe the thousands of people in both countries going about their daily routines.
   And I surely loved the architecture of Bhutan and the sartorial excellence of its people, without a single torn garment, so lamentful back home.

Next up is Nepal.

DALE SIEVERT (GULLIVER)

Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal         
February 2025

   In February 2025 I took a tour with Lupine Travel to the first two of these three countries.  Then I flew to Kathmandu, Nepal where I spent four days on my own.

Part 1  Bangladesh
   Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan following independence from India in 1949.  That independence also led to the establishment of West Pakistan, 800 miles to the west of East Pakistan.  A 1971 war between India and East Pakistan finally led to the new state of Bangladesh.
   Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.  It has 171 million people (29 times as many as Wisconsin's 5.96 million) living on 148,450 square miles (2.3 times that of Wisconsin's 65,400 square miles).
​
   It is a parliamentary republic, with 91% of the population being Islam and eight percent Hindu.  Its main industry is textiles, and it is the second largest exporter of ready-made garments in the world.
   Very few Americans visit Bangladesh, as well as other Western residents.  Therefore, I experienced a unique situation where so many people were surprised to see me (and my fellow travelers).  So many of them wanted to have photos taken with us, and they were very hospitable and friendly.  

National Assembly in Dhaka

Dhakeswari Temple, built in the 12th Century by King Ballal

Living in a poor country doesn't mean the ladies have to look like "poor Westerners" with ragged pants (to make them look, what?, cool? Not. Editorial comment by DS).

Ahsan Manzil Museum in Dhaka, built in the early 20th Century

Cleaning fish using a knife attached to concrete in the Kawranbayar Market in Dhaka

Mosque in Dhaka

Two boys who were visiting the mosque

Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka, built in the 17th Century. It was closed so we couldn't get close..

EVERY bus I saw in Bangladesh had been in a crash...or two or three.

A college in Dhaka

A beautiful contemplative woman

A beautiful non-contemplative woman

This family asked for a group photo with me.

Panam Nagar in Sonargaon, the thousand-year-old first capital of what is now Bangladesh, with a hundred old buildings still standing

Boro Sardar Bari palace in Sanorgaonn

We took one of these old decrepit ferries on an overnight cruise on the Barisal River, sleeping in a tiny room while mass numbers of "ordinary folks" slept in hallways and decks. Those of you who take "real cruises," eat your hearts out!

Taken from the upper deck on our boat at sunset...in heavily polluted air, explaining why so many people were coughing, I suppose. An experience NOT to be missed!

The melding of "basic transportation" and elegance in attire, often seen in developing countries...but never in Wisconsin.

A small personal craft (houseboat?) on the Barisal River

There are many brickyards along the Barisal River.

Many woodworking shops line the Barisal River in the city of Barisal.

Floating vegetable market in Barisal

I did NOT take a shower in this makeshift public "shower stall."

This man makes knives and various other tools in his small shop.

So, yes, I DID survive Bangladesh and left for Bhutan on this plane.

 EPILOGUE
Since I was a "yout," I often looked at Bangladesh (then, East Pakistan) on my globe and wished I could visit it.  Well, that's another "itch" that I've scratched...and it felt so good.  As I find on so many trips to developing countries, we have it "pretty good" here, so stop complaining so much.

Next up, Bhutan

Mexico and Costa Rica--January 2025
   Part 2  Costa Rica

   I last visited Costa Rica in 1989, so I was overdue to see some new sights and to revisit some old favorites.  It was a relatively short trip, given that I flew there after visiting Mexico City.
​
   Costa Rica is considered to be the prime country of Central America, given its great physical beauty based on its mountainous rainforests (about 25% of the country) and contact with the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  It has five million inhabitants (to Wisconsin's six million) living on about 20,000 square miles (to Wisconsin's 65,000), so it is more densely populated.  It is relatively peaceful, with a stable democracy and no army, contrary to its neighbors.  Thus, we don't hear of "illegal immigrants" flocking here from Costa Rica.

Cathedral of Costa Rica in San Jose

National Theater of Costa Rica

Just a pretty building

Irazu Volcano, 11,260 feet high

A building designed by Gustave Eiffel, who also built the Eiffel Tower

Basilica of Los Angeles in Cartago

One of countless beautiful valleys in Costa Rica

Ruins of The Immaculate Conception of Vjarras, built from 1561-1693

Unidentified pretty flower in Lankester Botanical Garden

Iglesia (Church) de Rafael Archangel in Zarcero

Interior of the church

Windows in the church

A nice view

Topiary outside the church

Epilogue

   Costa Rica is beautiful, safe, interesting, and inexpensive.  So, when are you going?

DALE SIEVERT

Mexico and Costa Rica--January 2025
Part 1--Mexico City and Puebla

​In January 2025 I took a sort of "cleanup trip" to see places in Mexico and Costa Rica that I missed on several earlier trips.  First I visited Mexico City for four days, then took a day trip to the colonial city of Puebla, two hours southeast of Mexico City.  Finally, I flew to Costa Rica for a week's visit there.
   
What is now Mexico City began in 1325 A.D. when the Mexica people, also known as the Aztecs, settled on an island in Lake Texcoco.  It grew to a very large city by April 1519 when the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez conquered the Aztec capital.  The Aztecs would be stunned to learn that the modern Mexico City, at an altitude of 7350 feet above sea level, has 20 million people, living in sort of a bowl surrounded by mountains
      

Palacio de Belles Artes, an Art Deco and Neo-classical cultural center built in 1904

Casa de los Azualejos, the 18th Century Baroque palace of Court of the Valle de Orizabe

Metropolitan Cathedral in the center of Mexico City, begun in 1573

National Palace, begun in1522, which resides next to the Cathedral.

Model of Templo Mayor, the center of the Aztec capital

Ruins of Templo Mayor, done by the Spanish, who then built on top of the rubble, including the Cathedral seen in the background

Interior of a colonial Catholic church in the trendy Coyocan neighborhood

One of countless beautiful doors in Mexico City

The Gardens of Xochimilco, now a tourist site, comprise 100 square miles of that were built by the Aztecs on mats woven from reeds for purposes of growing various crops.

Popocateptl, an 17,808-feet high volcano between Mexico City and Puebla

The Cathedral of the city of Puebla was built in the 1600s.

   So many Americans told me they would never, ever, consider visiting Mexico because of the crime, poverty, filth, etc.  I found Mexico City and Puebla (and I went through many parts of both cities) to be clean, with traffic no worse than in the US, and with countless beautiful old colonial buildings as well as modern buildings.  Those fearful folks are missing a lot.  I'm sure glad I didn't.

DALE SIEVERT

Hi!
​My name is BAMBI!

I just wanted to thank  you Dale, for making this really neat bed for me.  I know you probably spent jillions of dollars to make it just perfect. Sorry I had to leave so soon but Mom called me and I had to go.  I told her all about it!  She was just happy to know I was safe.  I'm telling all my friends so maybe you will have another visitor soon.  

Remember there are a lot of rocks and stuff you can trip on here, so
​BE CAREFUL!
​Love Bambi 

_____________________________________

This is a scenario that many people encounter in their gardens each spring. The reality of a fawn nestled amongst flowers and shrubs is a common and fascinating occurrence in nature.

While "Bambi" in this story is quite the articulate visitor, the real reasons for a fawn's solitary stay are just as compelling.

A mother deer, or doe, will intentionally leave her fawn in a location she deems safe, such as a garden, while she forages for food. This seemingly risky strategy is actually a clever survival tactic. Fawns are born with a dappled coat that provides excellent camouflage, blending them in with the surrounding vegetation. They also have very little scent, making it difficult for predators to detect them.

By staying away, the mother avoids leading predators to her vulnerable offspring with her own stronger scent. She is usually not far off and will return periodically to nurse her young. The fawn's instinct is to lie very still, even when approached, which can sometimes be misinterpreted as a sign of injury or abandonment. However, in most cases, the fawn is healthy and simply waiting for its mother's return.

It is crucial for anyone who discovers a fawn to remember the advice "Bambi" gives: "BE CAREFUL!" and, most importantly, to observe from a distance. Interfering with a healthy fawn by getting too close, touching it, or attempting to "rescue" it can do more harm than good. It can cause the fawn significant stress and may even deter the mother from returning.

If a fawn is in immediate danger, such as being on a busy road, or appears visibly injured, the best course of action is to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center or the state's wildlife agency for guidance.

So, while Dale's "really neat bed" may not have cost jillions, his quiet stewardship of the garden provided a perfect, temporary sanctuary for a young deer—a true act of kindness to his wild neighbors.

This charming story serves as a wonderful reminder of the surprising and delightful moments that nature can bring to our own backyards.

DALE SIEVERT

Tour Dale Sievert's Garden

The Japanese Garden

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

A Japanese garden was Dale Sievert's initial inspiration, and the one that he's built for himself is a marvel. In the shade of a striking katsura tree and surrounding maples and lindens, Dale created a Japanese garden with classic elements, including a raked gravel garden, an azumaya (viewing house), a stream with an arched bridge, small ponds fed with bamboo waterspouts and a lower reflecting pool.

Staircase Up the Slope

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

A gently inclined stone staircase with a rustic wooden railing climbs past terraced pocket gardens—a bog; a stumpery; and perennial beds of ferns, horsetail, and meadow rue.

Winding Paths to Follow

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

​Dale collected more than 11,000 fieldstones to line his garden paths— including thousands from his gracious neighbor’s hedgerows. Some came covered in moss, and others he covered himself, attaching moss temporarily with silicone caulk until the rooting attachments, or rhizoids, clung on their own.

The Built-In Garden Shed

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

In the bank of a hill, Dale built a garden shed you could easily mistake for a hobbit house. He lined a cobblestone path with dozens of moss-filled bowls and concrete troughs. Up the slope, two containers perch on natural pedestals—rather than discard stumps when he takes down trees, Dale embraces them as part of the landscape.

Water Features

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

​Mosses don’t grow in standing water or soggy soil, but they do thrive in humid microclimates—whether created by the mist of a water feature like these cascading falls or just in the damp cracks between pavers. When it rains, mosses function like sponges, taking in and holding water with their specially adapted leaves that weave together into hydro-wicking colonies. In fact, Dale likes to show off a "magic trick" for visitors, spritzing dormant moss with water, and drawing cheers as it turns lush green in seconds.

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

This small pond, fed by a bamboo spout, is in the Japanese garden. The textural, shade-loving plants here include Japanese forest grass, hostas, golden Japanese spikenard and conifers.

Moss, Moss (and Stumps) Everywhere

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Using found materials, Dale built two benches from large stones and wood slabs, then encouraged moss to grow on them for a fairy-tale, lost-in-time look.

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Here, a hanging bark planter provides an eye-level view of mosses. When visiting a moss garden or natural moss habitat, Dale advises to take it slow. “As I often watch many on the path, few hardly give mosses a glance,” he says. “If they could, the mosses would cry, their dazzling show falling on blind eyes."

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Dale has also succeeded in cultivating moss on boulders and concrete forms like this sphere. One of the remarkable things about Dale's garden is how it brings about a feeling of calm and stillness. One intimate space or sculpture leads to another, and you start to notice how each moss is different; some form small puffy cushions while others create velvet green carpets.

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Dale has even fashioned a table from a lingering, twisty tree trunk. It's the perfect surface for more small containers and pretty stones. "Many people come through my garden and see a mass of plants," he says, "but I have lots of different species of mosses.”​

Moss in Miniature—and Growing Your Own

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

A moss bowl (or tiny pot, below) is a great way to test your hand at growing moss because the scale is modest, and you can easily move the container to seek more or less light. (Here's a full how-to guide.) Start small, be patient and match the growing conditions where the moss was gathered. Most mosses prefer some shade and moist, well-draining soil. If collecting moss, for best results, gather locally and always request permission from property owners. Conservatively collect small, 4- to 6-inch patches so the original patch will regenerate easily. If possible, leave a half inch of soil under the moss for successful transplanting.

PHOTO - BOB STEFKO

Other tips? Get inspired by reading Gathering Moss. Acclaimed nature writer Robin Wall Kimmerer weaves history, culture and science into a fascinating snapshot of these unique plants. Then pick up The Magical World of Moss Gardening, Annie Martin’s popular primer on growing the stuff. You can also draw visual inspiration at public gardens, like Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford, Illinois, or the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, Wisconsin.

​ This story was adapted from Garden to the Max, a new book by Midwest Living contributing editor Teresa Woodard that features tours of 20 incredible private gardens. Check it out, along with other staff picks for garden gear and reading.