Anyone have any first hand experience with moss gardens?

Bobert has suggested that I consider a moss lawn since my yard is heavily shaded and very acid. My yard is quite large, gets a fair amount of foot traffic, and because of frequent periods of drought it would be extremely costly to supply the moisture needed to maintain a moss yard, so that is not an option. However, there are significant patches of moss in the yard so I know I generally have the environment for it. I'm wondering about trying to establish a few smallish areas as moss gardens with mosses, ferns, a few shade-loving shrubs and spring ephemerals.

I've been researching on-line. There is a fair amount of information on starting them, but it lacks specificity - and virtually no useful information regarding maintenance. I am not convinced that they are as low maintenance as they are touted to be. Starting them can be relatively expensive.

I'll probably go buy a book about moss gardening, but nothing is so valuable as hearing from people who have experience.