outdoors
plantings
FANTASTIC
FOLIAGE
Versatile ferns offer
endless design
possibilities in and out
of the garden.
Clockwise from top
right
, newly sprouted
ferns are called
fiddleheads because
of their shape. A simple,
elegant bouquet of
ostrich ferns, daisies,
and bab/s-breath fills
a pitcher. Cinnamon
fern
(Osmunda
dnnamomea)
grows
with tiarella and hardy
geranium in a part-
shade border. A
Japanese painted fern
partners with a hosta in
a patio pot.
growing ferns in your garden
Any shady space can be home to these widely adapted plants. Our tips will help you grow luxuriant ferns.
SHADY—MOST OF THE TIME Often found in forests, ferns typically prefer sheltered places. But as long as their
needs for water are met, many ferns can tolerate an hour or two of direct sun. Bright or dappled shade will allow most
ferns to thrive. Ferns will grow in deep shade, although they may be sparse and spread more slowly in very low light.
MOIST—BUT NOT SOGGY Soil that is rich in organic matter is perfect for most ferns because organic matter holds
moisture yet drains well. Mix a generous amount of compost into the bed or container at planting time. Water ferns
regularly during the first year.
lO O AUGUST 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTOS: (FIDDLEHEADS, BOUQUET, FERN WITH HOSTA) MARTY BALDWIN; (CINNAMON FERN) CELIA PEARSON
