In September I opened a discussion "The Case for Native Ferns". I wasn't then aware of this ongoing fern corner. If I knew how, I would move it all across to here.
Plantsmen will be plantsmen, and I am a little that way inclined. But for garden effect one can rely on native ferns alone and potentially save a lot of money. (I am not too purist, nor too penny-pinching.)
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
B3 They do look good.Your black table reminded me how lovely they look with Ophiopogon nigrescens.
I looked but couldn't see, and then reread and realised that it was the black table that was compementing the ferns.
I have some ophiopogon that are not spreading as fast as I would like, and so not giving the effect I would like. I will now think about moving them next to some ferns, or vice-versa.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
@B3 I agree it is a plant that divides opinions. I love it, everything goes with black especially bright colours, you can use it in any planting scheme. It does like some sun so I have some growing on the edge of the border where I grow my ferns. Too much sun and dry conditions the leaves turn brown.
I visited Sledmere walled garden a few years ago and saw it at it's best. Planted with Heucheras in different shades of ruby red and I think H Obsidian. The plants were mixed together around a circular pool.The reflections of the plants on the water made the pool look deep and dark but it was only shallow. The the sun back lit the red Heucheras, the work of a genius gardener.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Hi all frond lovers! Just treated me with a new fern for my collection: Pteris cretica var. albolineata aka white-striped Cretan brakeFamily. Opinions vary about it's hardiness, RHS gives it as H1C (can be grown outside in the summer 5°-10°) but the label on my specimen says it can survive mild frosts (until minus 5°). Does anyone have experience of having it in the ground? For the time being I'll keep it in its pot and keep a watch over the winter.
A very striking fern, @Papi Jo. Not a species I'm familiar with but in one of his books on garden ferns Martin Rickard says that P. cretica survives, but rarely, as an escapee from cultivation on sheltered walls in the British Isles.
I've had this fern for a couple of years, indoors, as it does not like frost. It is growing continuously, interesting jungle-like effect. Here's one "dead" leaf specimen, plus close-up.
@Papi Jo We like you love ferns but we get so much more from them when they are free plants. We grow orchids and when we buy a new one (not so often these days) we always get a fern that starts to grow in the pot. We allow them to grow until the orchid is ready for a repot and then take the fern out and repot it on its own. We have some fabulous ones that are indoors and outdoors.
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Plantsmen will be plantsmen, and I am a little that way inclined. But for garden effect one can rely on native ferns alone and potentially save a lot of money. (I am not too purist, nor too penny-pinching.)
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I have some ophiopogon that are not spreading as fast as I would like, and so not giving the effect I would like. I will now think about moving them next to some ferns, or vice-versa.
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I visited Sledmere walled garden a few years ago and saw it at it's best. Planted with Heucheras in different shades of ruby red and I think H Obsidian. The plants were mixed together around a circular pool.The reflections of the plants on the water made the pool look deep and dark but it was only shallow. The the sun back lit the red Heucheras, the work of a genius gardener.
Not a species I'm familiar with but in one of his books on garden ferns Martin Rickard says that P. cretica survives, but rarely, as an escapee from cultivation on sheltered walls in the British Isles.