I Love My Ferns

I’m sure my ferns are not as pretty as yours, but they’re mine and I love them.  When we were younger, and more mobile, we belonged to the Birmingham Fern Society and enjoyed associating with people in the know in the fern world.  At that time I could spit out the botanical names right and left — but no more.  If you don’t use it you lose it — is the old saying and it’s so true.  When we still had the shade garden I had umpteen varieties and could name them all — no more — I only have a few but they are special and I drag my four-wheeler (the walker) around to visit them quite often.

The Autumn Ferns are ones we rescued from the abandoned shade garden and we look forward to enjoying them in the fall with their color.  The Holly Fern just came up on the north side of the house near the rooting bed.  Then I had a good shoveler here I asked him to move it for me so I can see it from the sun porch.

A friend shared the Cinnamon with me last fall and it has had a really pretty bloom this spring.  The Southern Shield is not happy where it is and I’ll have to move it later on.  I think it would do better where it could get at least a little sun.  Also, I think all the rain we’ve had here on Sand Mountain has been detrimental to its growth.

 

Now one of the special ferns is the Black Stem Lady Fern — identified by a lady who has a fern nursery in our area — however, a member of  The Birmingham Fern Society disagrees.  Even so, she cannot tell us what it is if it isn’t Black Stem Lady.  How we got this one is interesting.  One fall John brought home some fern fronds(can’t remember where he got them) and stuck them down in the rooting bed.  Of course, I fussed and said, “They won’t take root.”  Well, they didn’t take root, but the spores dropped in the damp bed and the next spring we had several babies come up.  Mine is in a pot, as you can see, and I wish it were in the ground, but I’m afraid to more it.  It has done well — thanks in part to the rain.

Now the Sensitive Ferns John dug from a ditch on the side of a road we travel frequently and it has done very well — gets a little mid-day sun.

You will have look closely at the tatting fern picture.  It’s growing in the midst of a bed of Selaginella and they’re almost the same color.  I’ve tried over and over to have a Tatting Fern because I tat, but have failed for the past several years.  Would you believe this little jewel just came up where it stands now?  I’m thrilled and would not dare move it, even though I can’t enjoy it much at this location.

Now the Southern Maidenhair fern is very weak , but it has been taken over by Bermuda grass . Earlier this year John dug it all up and

tried to separate fern from grass.  He did a good job and it’s still living, but weak.  I treasure this one as it’s difficult to grow here.  It’s on the north east corner of the house and gets a little early morning sun and is then in the shade the rest of the day. It likes to grow near limestone and its planted near the foundation blocks of the house.

Wild flowers, ferns and such are definitely some of the best parts of country living.