In texture, color, and shape, ferns proclaim themselves as the perfection of green leaf forms. Where we find them in nature they are so thoroughly a muted part of the total landscape that we accept them without a special note. Ferns remain so much a part of the world of nature that they are not suited to the formal garden with border perennials. They belong in the company of spring bulbs and those flowering plants that still wear some of the air of thier original wildness.
Used thus in conjunction with early bulbs and spring flowers, ferns can fill shaded corners beneath a flowering tree or in the flowerbed on the shady side of the house. The first uncurling fiddleheads neatly accompany the early ruch of blossoming wild flowers and such bulbs as dafodils, jonquils, and narcissuses. When the flowers fade and thier foliage begins to wilt, then the expanding fern fronds provide fresh and continual greenness.
Except for a few rock-loving species, ferns generally need a situation in the garden where the soil is not scorched by the sun. They demand a light soil rich in humus, the kind that takes nature years to make in the woods. The soil can be provided in the garden by the incorporation of generous amounts of commercial peat. In such a soil ferns of many sizes and kinds will grow happily together; but some, because of their texture and form and habit of growth, are more desirable than others in a garden.
The Woodferns, with their ranges of sizes and leaf shapes, offer perhaps the most attractive and adaptable of all of the ferns. There is not an unpleasing fern in the group. They all grow from a central crown and hold their freshness throughout the summer.
Of easy culture in rich, moist, shaded gardens, the Woodferns (Leatherleaf) provide variety and neatness almost all one could ask for in the garden.
Another with its own special charm is the Lady Fern, which is easily managed and is suitable for growing among mixed flower backgrounds. However, it has a tendency to become a little tattered rather early.
For contrast of shape and texture there is perhaps no fern to equal the Maidenhair. From the magic of early unwrapping of the frond in spring to the full swirling design of the mature leaf, the Maidenhair asserts its loveliness amid the delicate flowers of spring or the lushness of summer. In rich soil and shade a clump of Maidenhair will increase its compact growth sometimes to the pint of needing restraint. You can easily bring the rootmass in bounds by slicing off with a shovel as much of the clump as you wish, and using the removed clumps elsewhere.
However well planned a garden may be, some areas that might be developed and enjoyed are likely to be on the north sides of buildings or shaded by trees. There are few gardens with out such an unpromising region, and here ferns might well flourish. While there are a few ferns that will tolerate a certain amount of direct sun, there are none which require it.
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Two potting mixtures generally recommended: For ferns.
Soil-based mixture;
1 part sterilized fibrous soil
1 part medium grade peat moss (lite colored type), ground tree bark, or leaf mold
(Leaf mold is made of decayed leaves, and is rich in organic matter. Like soil, leaf mold has bacterial activity in it, and therefore contains some nutreients. Beech and oak leaf molds are excellent... pine needles are useful for lending texture to the mix)
1 part coarse sand or perilite
Add a balance granular fertilizer according to package instructions to the mix.
Best mix...High-humus peat based mixture;
3 parts coarse peat moss (not ground or dark in color)
3 parts leaf mold
2 parts coarse sand or perilite
Add 1 cup of charcoal granuals ( helps keep the mixture from going "sour") to 2 quarts of your mix, and follow fertilizer package instructions.
Generaly, most packaged potting soils available at your garden center is good and you can add leaf mold and or soil to it.
Repot only when the roots have completely filled the pot or when a creeping rhizomes (surface roots) has covered the potting mix and is begining to spread beyond the rim of the pot. Under ideal conditions of light, warmth and watering, and feeding, perennials may require repotting every six to seven weeks. In less than ideal conditions they can remain contented in the same pot for several years. If repotting becomes neccessary, try to do it in the spring or early summer months, and repot into a container only one size bigger. It is never a good idea to overpot since it causes overwatering and the root system may suffer.
After reaching maximum convenient pot size for you and your plant, the plant is best divided or used in some other way for propagation. Your plant can be kept intact, however, if the root ball is trimmed by a third or half. The plant can then be returned to its pot...Which has been cleaned and filled with fresh potting mix.
