Hi all fern lovers! As a recreational activity in this festive end-of-year season I have experimented with the rustyback fern aka Asplenium ceterach. A humble but astonishing fern, capable of "resurrection".
Photographed in situ on an old, mossy wall at the foot of my village church.
Below: Illustration of the revival of the Cetarach fern. Duration of shooting: 3 days; interval: 15 minutes; number of photos: about 250. Flash. Start: almost completely dry frond, placed in a saucer with a little water. Some spraying during the experiment. Between points 14 sec. and 18 sec., perhaps due to a lack of water, the frond seems to return to its initial condition ( dry). Then it starts again, helped by a shot of water spraying.
@LG_ Splendid pic of that Adiantum venustum. Currently mine is hidden under its winter blanket of dried ferns... Must go and have a look... if I can find it amongst its 30 or so companion ferns.
I have just retrieved my 30 pots of ferns from their winter blanket and re-sited them on my "fern wall". All of the evergreen specimens are in great shape, about half of the deciduous ones have started their new fronds and the rest are still stationary. Must be patient.
Athyrium otophorum var. okanum (in the open ground, new fronds)
Athyrium niponicum ‘Metallicum’ with lots of new fronds
Athyrium niponicum var. pictum 'Red Beauty'. Not absolutely certain of its ID, however.
Hi all frond lovers! Here are today's pics of some of my ferns in the open ground.
I have divided about half a dozen potted specimens and re-potted. I simply cut those specimens into 2 halves with an old frozen-Food Cutting Kitchen Knife. Hope the re-potted specimens will survive this harsh treatment.
Osmunda regalis ‘Purpurascens’ - New fertile fronds
Onoclea sensibilis
Athyrium otophorum var. okanum (with Matteuccia struthiopteris in the background)
2 specimens of Dryopteris erythrosora: On the right in the ground, D. erythrosora var. prolifica; on the left a just bought specimen in its pot of un-named variety of D. erythrosora.
Wonderful photos @Papi Jo! I've been very busy at work, not much time to devote to fronds. My garden seems to be a little behind; also Polystichum neolobatum lost nearly all its new fronds during the last frosts . I will be checking to see if some of last year's additions are returning, e.g. Asplenium ebenoides (Dragon's tail fern), and whether they have increased in vigour or have become lacklustre and are on the path to fading away. One that I'm pretty sure will perform well is Polystichum setiferum 'Congestum', as my 'Herrenhausen' is a great performer on my clayy/chalky soil.
Took these photos of Osmunda regalis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Polystichum setiferum 'Herrenhausen' and Cyrtomium fortunei over the last couple of days.
Osmunda regalis ^
Asplenium scolopendrium ^
Polystichum setiferum 'Herrenhausen' ^
Cyrtomium fortune I ^
I do love a newly unfurling frond 🙂
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Duration of shooting: 3 days; interval: 15 minutes; number of photos: about 250. Flash.
Start: almost completely dry frond, placed in a saucer with a little water. Some spraying during the experiment.
Between points 14 sec. and 18 sec., perhaps due to a lack of water, the frond seems to return to its initial condition ( dry). Then it starts again, helped by a shot of water spraying.
This is Adiantum venustum today, in the rain. Such a beautiful fern. I do hope I can keep it alive!
Osmunda regalis ^
Asplenium scolopendrium ^
Polystichum setiferum 'Herrenhausen' ^
Cyrtomium fortune I ^
I do love a newly unfurling frond 🙂