To love a Fern: Zonal Denial and Experimentation with Odd Fern or Two
Ferns are often thought as creature that thrive in the wet and moist muck of the world. Often pictured lurking in the tropics, underneath towering trees, within the shadows. This is but a narrow range of the habitats that ferns dwell in. Found in nearly every ecosystem there is a fern for every garden. I first drove into the world of ferns with two species, Cyrtomium falcatum and Athyrium niponicum.
Native throughout China and southern Asia. This fern is often used as a specimen plant, having the structure and form to stand well alone. In my own garden it finds itself rather dejected, but its form gives it some perks and warrants attention from the onlooker. My own plant was one of many random plant purchases from the local big box store. The overall habit and form of the plant is rather unique as it does not have the looseness that many other ferns have, its foliage being large and evergreen. In its current planting it has nothing to contrast with, but in the future some airy neighbors might help highlight the fern.
Originally believed to be to tender, this plant found residents in the parlors of the Victorians. Later experimentation revealed that this plant is in fact quite hardy. This fern is not only hardy but also quite tolerant of poor conditions, being a key player to add to those dry root infested shady areas. Once established this fern withstand drought and competition from tree roots, in this case a pear, without even flinching. Tolerant of outright neglect the specimen can look rather downtrodden. In the case of my own, I have allowed two winters to pass without removing the previous year's growth. This has resulted in the specimen having a cluttered look. The fern fronds themselves get a burnt look to them near the end of the year often being caused by the wear and tear of the growing season and winter's frost, and they really should be cut off. I would recommend removing the damaged fronds near the tail end of winter right before the new fronds start to unfurl. Watch for the knobs of next year's growth then it should be fine to remove last year's fronds. I'm sure that with a little more care it would take off like a rocket.
Initial this plant was planted in pot but was being exposed too much sun. Performing better in bright shade to deep shade this fern is a workhorse of a plant. This species and its American counterpart clump up in time, making clumps of at least 2 feet in width. Upon being moved to its current location it went through aa bit of a setback and since then has remained rather stunted. In this coming year I plan on mulching with organics and cleaning it up in the hope that my own specimen would reach the 2-foot height that is expected of the species. It would make an excellent partner among other ferns, hostas, and trillium. Being evergreen, and with the right upkeep, this plant makes for an excellent background for some of the early season woodland jewels such as some of the smaller daffodils and cardamines.
If one were to turn over the fronds of this fern in late summer, one might at first be startled as it would appear that they are covered in rust brown blisters. These are in actuality the spores. Collection of these spores are possible but the germination of them may take time, a process to be discussed another time, watch this space. Another method of propagation is by division. Division should be done on well-established clumps, as to not weaken the plant overall.
Cyrtomium falcatum is an excellent specimen plant worth any place in a shady space. Adding an air of the tropics but as hardy as a cactus. In the coming years it should take off looking excellent.
Athyrium niponicum
An east Asian fern, that is considered to be among the more hardy of the ferns. Its only drawback in our dry Texan garden is its love and dependence on moisture. In our own garden it finds residence within a large clay pot with tons of added clay and organic material. Bought at the same time as the Crytomium, it was planted in a dry shady bed, but suffered greatly from drought. So bad was its suffering that I was all but sure that it would fade away to the plant after life. To save the plant it was moved to its currently place, a pot that had low drainage due to a clogged drainage hole and is rich in organics. It was here that the fern has truly flourished.
During its transplanting it nearly disappeared, with only a few fronds left standing. Within a month the fern began a rebound and became quiet lush. The second year saw further expansion of the specimen. However, there was one issue that plagued the pot as a whole was the low soil level. The plants were hidden, and the display thus tainted, replanting was then in order. The pot in all its contents was replanted, organic material in the form of manure was added. The fern root ball was substantial leaving me little cause of worry for losing the plant. However, I would be proven wrong as it did not like the shock of this move, and thus large portions had experienced die back. The fern is now in recovery and has a very bright future ahead, being the star performer of this moist clay pot.
Growing conditions for the best performance must be moist but never soaking wet. Avoid winter wet at all costs unless you want to experience rot. The plant is deciduous leaving nothing for winter interest. The fronds provide little winter interest unlike some other deciduous ferns and often disintegrate on their own. In winter I remove the dead fronds and crunch them up, then deposit the remains onto of the dominant clump. In our own hot climate, I give the pot one deep soaking at least once every 3 week and that seems to suffice.
This plant is a fast grower and when happy can create substantial clumps quick. The best method of propagation would be by division, this more so true if one has some of the showier cultivars. The spores on this fern are less apparent then on the holly fern but they resemble brown spot on the underside of the fronds, and also appear in the summer. This fern is more filigree in appearance, having fronds very resembling the classic fern frond. It makes an excellent partner to other woodland plants, and I have it with a Heuchera and a dark leafed Lobelia that is part of starship series. One way to get more bang for your buck is to under plant the fern with early season bulbs. I did this using summer snowflakes, which emerge before the fern. The only downfall of this combination is that the snowflakes foliage is a bit obtrusive, dying back by the time the fern is completely awake. This takes away from one of the features of this plants, as the emerging fronds are often a saturated reddish purple before fading to grayish green. As such I would recommend smaller bulbs maybe some Scillas or Muscari.
The main attraction in this fern is its unusual foliage coloration. Offering a dark off forest green with slight purple veining. There are many forms of this plant but ours is the straight species. The straight species itself is quite beautiful in its own regards and it works well with the current planting.
A New Addiction? I think yes!
When one thinks of Southern Texas few think ferns would find this place hospitable. Yet ferns are a forgiving adaptable lot, and should you create the right conditions they can grow anywhere. In the future I hope to expand the collection and experiment with more genera of ferns. Shady corners can become exotic with the odd fern or two. They represent a piece of our prehistoric past and although they are not as exuberant as any flower neither the less, they provide beauty in their grace. Though their benefits are great, providing foliage structure and color and shelter for invertebrates, everyone should at least try one fern in their own garden. The genus Dryopteris is the next stop for my journey in ferns so watch this space.
An Evergreen Fern for the Winter Garden: Cyrtomium falcatum
Originally believed to be to tender, this plant found residents in the parlors of the Victorians. Later experimentation revealed that this plant is in fact quite hardy. This fern is not only hardy but also quite tolerant of poor conditions, being a key player to add to those dry root infested shady areas. Once established this fern withstand drought and competition from tree roots, in this case a pear, without even flinching. Tolerant of outright neglect the specimen can look rather downtrodden. In the case of my own, I have allowed two winters to pass without removing the previous year's growth. This has resulted in the specimen having a cluttered look. The fern fronds themselves get a burnt look to them near the end of the year often being caused by the wear and tear of the growing season and winter's frost, and they really should be cut off. I would recommend removing the damaged fronds near the tail end of winter right before the new fronds start to unfurl. Watch for the knobs of next year's growth then it should be fine to remove last year's fronds. I'm sure that with a little more care it would take off like a rocket.
Initial this plant was planted in pot but was being exposed too much sun. Performing better in bright shade to deep shade this fern is a workhorse of a plant. This species and its American counterpart clump up in time, making clumps of at least 2 feet in width. Upon being moved to its current location it went through aa bit of a setback and since then has remained rather stunted. In this coming year I plan on mulching with organics and cleaning it up in the hope that my own specimen would reach the 2-foot height that is expected of the species. It would make an excellent partner among other ferns, hostas, and trillium. Being evergreen, and with the right upkeep, this plant makes for an excellent background for some of the early season woodland jewels such as some of the smaller daffodils and cardamines.
If one were to turn over the fronds of this fern in late summer, one might at first be startled as it would appear that they are covered in rust brown blisters. These are in actuality the spores. Collection of these spores are possible but the germination of them may take time, a process to be discussed another time, watch this space. Another method of propagation is by division. Division should be done on well-established clumps, as to not weaken the plant overall.
Cyrtomium falcatum is an excellent specimen plant worth any place in a shady space. Adding an air of the tropics but as hardy as a cactus. In the coming years it should take off looking excellent.
Athyrium niponicum
During its transplanting it nearly disappeared, with only a few fronds left standing. Within a month the fern began a rebound and became quiet lush. The second year saw further expansion of the specimen. However, there was one issue that plagued the pot as a whole was the low soil level. The plants were hidden, and the display thus tainted, replanting was then in order. The pot in all its contents was replanted, organic material in the form of manure was added. The fern root ball was substantial leaving me little cause of worry for losing the plant. However, I would be proven wrong as it did not like the shock of this move, and thus large portions had experienced die back. The fern is now in recovery and has a very bright future ahead, being the star performer of this moist clay pot.
Growing conditions for the best performance must be moist but never soaking wet. Avoid winter wet at all costs unless you want to experience rot. The plant is deciduous leaving nothing for winter interest. The fronds provide little winter interest unlike some other deciduous ferns and often disintegrate on their own. In winter I remove the dead fronds and crunch them up, then deposit the remains onto of the dominant clump. In our own hot climate, I give the pot one deep soaking at least once every 3 week and that seems to suffice.
This plant is a fast grower and when happy can create substantial clumps quick. The best method of propagation would be by division, this more so true if one has some of the showier cultivars. The spores on this fern are less apparent then on the holly fern but they resemble brown spot on the underside of the fronds, and also appear in the summer. This fern is more filigree in appearance, having fronds very resembling the classic fern frond. It makes an excellent partner to other woodland plants, and I have it with a Heuchera and a dark leafed Lobelia that is part of starship series. One way to get more bang for your buck is to under plant the fern with early season bulbs. I did this using summer snowflakes, which emerge before the fern. The only downfall of this combination is that the snowflakes foliage is a bit obtrusive, dying back by the time the fern is completely awake. This takes away from one of the features of this plants, as the emerging fronds are often a saturated reddish purple before fading to grayish green. As such I would recommend smaller bulbs maybe some Scillas or Muscari.
The main attraction in this fern is its unusual foliage coloration. Offering a dark off forest green with slight purple veining. There are many forms of this plant but ours is the straight species. The straight species itself is quite beautiful in its own regards and it works well with the current planting.
A New Addiction? I think yes!
When one thinks of Southern Texas few think ferns would find this place hospitable. Yet ferns are a forgiving adaptable lot, and should you create the right conditions they can grow anywhere. In the future I hope to expand the collection and experiment with more genera of ferns. Shady corners can become exotic with the odd fern or two. They represent a piece of our prehistoric past and although they are not as exuberant as any flower neither the less, they provide beauty in their grace. Though their benefits are great, providing foliage structure and color and shelter for invertebrates, everyone should at least try one fern in their own garden. The genus Dryopteris is the next stop for my journey in ferns so watch this space.
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