Would anyone be able to recommend one or two types of fern that will grow well in a space we will have next to our finished pond please? The area will be about 1m2 and will be a bog garden (lined with perforated pond liner and lipped so as to take any overflow from the pond). It will also be in full sun. I know the sun aspect isn't one that ferns are fond of so I thought I'd check with the experts!
Hi @Astraeus. I'm not an expert at all (unfortunately!), but 1) this link is informative https://ebps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Ferns-for-damp-or-wet-conditions-IPv7.pdf . It has some helpful information about ferns suitable for boggy/wet sites and discusses various aspects. 2) some thoughts ... The sun aspect is not a problem I think. I've seen e.g. Osmunda regalis (discussed very recently in this thread) in very open sunny sites; it would be suitable. We just discussed (see previous page) that in fact for Osmunda the liner might not need perforating, as it can deal with very wet conditions. The main thing is that the crown should not be submerged. Whether to perforate the liner or not depends a bit on the type(s) of fern you choose, and your local conditions - how wet it is and how well the soil drains. Where I am (Cambridgeshire) with long dry spells, I would not do it.
I am fairly new to ferns and only have 2 at present, although I have enough shade in my gardens I could certainly take on a few more. They are so pretty. One of them is Dryopteris erythrosora, which was labeled 'Autumn Fern' when purchased 3 seasons ago. It died down to the ground badly after Texas snow/ice and arctic temps for over a week. Didn't expect it to live actually. But this much has come back off its core in just 2½ months. And I have a hanging Nephrolepis cordifolia "Duffii", or Lemon Button Fern, in a semi-outdoor atrium by my dining room windows. I have (since photo was taken) moved it to a shadier corner of the atrium.
Hi all frond lovers! I'm currently re-arranging my fern-wall and adding more ferns to the pergola ground. Unfortunately quite a few ferns have died during the winter, no idea why. Anyway, some pics of the day...
Beautifully focused images @Papi Jo the grace and variety of unfurling fronds will always appeal to me. Did you keep the ferns up on the fern wall over winter (and were they the ones that died)? If so I wonder whether they would have liked to huddle together in a sheltered spot. I hadn't heard of the Blechnum renaming to Struthiopteris. It never seems to be easier to pronounce does it. However, science must have its way - in fact it is a good illustration of the way it works, accumulating knowledge but corrections are needed every now and then.
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The sun aspect is not a problem I think. I've seen e.g. Osmunda regalis (discussed very recently in this thread) in very open sunny sites; it would be suitable. We just discussed (see previous page) that in fact for Osmunda the liner might not need perforating, as it can deal with very wet conditions. The main thing is that the crown should not be submerged. Whether to perforate the liner or not depends a bit on the type(s) of fern you choose, and your local conditions - how wet it is and how well the soil drains. Where I am (Cambridgeshire) with long dry spells, I would not do it.
And I have a hanging Nephrolepis cordifolia "Duffii", or Lemon Button Fern, in a semi-outdoor atrium by my dining room windows. I have (since photo was taken) moved it to a shadier corner of the atrium.
I hadn't heard of the Blechnum renaming to Struthiopteris. It never seems to be easier to pronounce does it. However, science must have its way - in fact it is a good illustration of the way it works, accumulating knowledge but corrections are needed every now and then.