Fancy Ferns

13 05 2012

Yesterday saw the opening of the local Farmer’s Market; the 25th season opening, to be precise. While I admired the amazing array of  edibles, the art creations, and the delectable breakfast options, my focus was on finding some new ferns for my growing collection.

The Pearson Nursery stand did not disappoint. Over the years, they’ve become my go-to nursery for highly affordable, quality shade plants. Tens of fern varieties, and some very tempting young Japanese Maples grafts; I settled on some old favorites and two new-to-me fern varieties. I hope these will do as well as all the other “Pearson” ferns.

Untitled
Athyrium otophorum (Eared Lady Fern)
Height: 18″
Zone: 5-9
Part shade/shade, deciduous

Untitled
Athyrium standishii (Upside Down Fern)
Height: 12-36″
Zone: 6-9
Part shade/shade, deciduous


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Ferns, General, New plants

Shearing the Western Sword Ferns

10 04 2011

The Western Sword ferns, true garden stalwarts, got a short back and sides job yesterday.

Polystichum munitum (Western Sword Fern)

These evergreen ferns, most native to the garden, start looking ratty in early Summer when the fronds from the previous year brown and die back. Since I’ve close to three dozen oversized clumps scattered throughout the garden, it’s much easier to shear back all the old fronds before the new ones emerge.

The new fronds, tucked into the crown of the plant,  are just a week or two away from unfurling. Their furry brown  shapes look snail-like and mysterious. Some coiled young fronds (fiddleheads) are edible, in small quantities. Bracken ferns, Cinnamon fern, but as far as I know, not the Western Sword fern fronds.

Down by the wetland area of the garden, a Jack in the Pulpit  peeked through the sodden soil, quite dramatically.

Arisaema triphyllum (Jack in the Pulpit)

Mud-spattered and fragile, the Jack in the Pulpit was later flattened by a less than appreciative corgi, chasing a pink frisbee.

Such is gardening with active dogs!


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , ,
Categories : Ferns, How to

The New Lawn Bed: Final Installment

12 09 2010

Contemplated

Dug

Amended

Planted

Finished.

Here are the plants that “made the cut”:

Acer palmatum “Fascination” (x 1)

Hydrangea paniculata “Quick Fire” (x 3)

Polystichum x dycei (Dyce Holly Fern)

Dryoperis  erythrosora (Autumn Fern)

Adiantum venustum (Himalayan Maidenhair Fern)

Polystichum  setiferum (Alaska Fern)

Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern)

Polystichum setiferum “Rotundatum” (Ram’s Head Soft Shield Fern)

Carex morrowii “Variegata”  (Japanese Variegated Sedge) —divisions from the garden

For Spring time color (or as squirrel entrees), I also planted purple, white, and yellow Crocus verna and then sprinkled a mixture of chili powder and cayenne pepper from a dollar store, on top of the soil to ward off critters. It’s working so far with the dogs.

While I’m always glad when a project reaches completion,  this one has just whetted my appetite. There’s another part of the lawn which begs to be converted into something. I just don’t know what yet.  I’ll have plenty of time to day dream about the possibilities in the rainy months to come.


Comments : 6 Comments »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Ferns, Lawn, New projects

The New Lawn Bed: Part II

8 09 2010

The new lawn bed is finally taking shape.

With the addition of 14 wheelbarrows full of the Gardener’s Blend mix, the bed has plumped up nicely to this:

(Pock marks courtesy of Duncan, Garden Dog and Barry, Squirrel Chaser who also taste-tested clumps of soil and found them “more-ish”!)

Let the fun begin!

The next step is to add plants that will thrive in filtered shade all day, wet soil in the Winter, and minimal Summer watering. I’m not asking too much, am I?

After some research and a lot of thinking about the project, I’ve whittled down the plant list to:

  • Ferns  (no surprise there).  I’m  thinking of mass plantings of 4 -5 different varieties which already grow with ease elsewhere in the garden. Alaska, Soft Shield, Autumn, and Tassle Ferns come to mind, but I’m open to other evergreen ferns, if they come at the right price.
  • Quick Fire Hydrangea (again no bombshell here). I’ll use three as a specimen “hedge” along the length of the new bed. Everything I’ve read about Quick Fire says it’s quite drought tolerant and a tough but pretty pink-blooming hydrangea. It’s also the first hydrangea to bloom in many gardens.

  • A focal point tree. The bed needs a focal or exclamation point, and since I have a 5 foot upright Japanese Maple that needs to be re-homed, that will be it. Truth be told, If I didn’t have a maple that needed re-homing and could go somewhere else, I would probably have chosen a different exclamation point. I’m a little concerned about putting a Japanese Maple in the former mud patch. The soil is now light and friable to about 1 foot, so I think I’ll take my chances and plant the maple shallowly, on a mound of earth for increased drainage. I hope it works out.
  • Crocuses. Since the kitchen window looks onto the new bed, I’ll add some early Spring color to cheer up a gloomy PNW late Winter’s day. (Actually, I just want to dig around in that soft, floury soil some more, because  planting all the other Spring bulbs in the hard soil will be a lot less fun :-( )

That’s it for now. This week, I need to call up the “Fern Guy” in Cornelius, Oregon and see what he’s got in stock.  More later.


Comments : 10 Comments »
Tags: ,
Categories : Ferns, General, New projects

« Previous Entries


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.