Garden Update: 14 Ferns

This morning I ran around like a crazy person taking pics of all the ferns I could find before the forecasted rain came. These suckers are growing fast and I wanted to capture some photos before they completely fill out.

One of my favorite things about spring in the garden is how the ferns and hostas begin to emerge, almost in unison. The new growth is very vertical, and the structure of the fronds along with the whorls of the fiddleheads lends an architectural look to the space. A perfect subject for helping my amateur photography look a little less, well, amateur.

I’m kinda shocked at how many varieties I’ve accumulated over the years (is that a humblebrag?). I should probably institute a fern-buying moratorium and from now on just propagate what I have. I’m sure that idea will go out the window next time I’m at the nursery.

Anyhow, here are a few “best-of-the-batch” photos, I hope you like them!

: Japanese Lace Fern – Polystichum setosum

: Fortune’s Cold Hardy Holly Fern – Cyrtomium fortunei

: Himalayan Maidenhair – Adiantum venustum

: Tokyo Wood Fern – Dryopteris tokyoensis

: Polystichum munitum – these guys are all over our yard, it’s great. I’ve divided many of the older ones over the years, but this one is still intact and very impressive.

: I THINK this is an Autumn Fern, possibly Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’. Maybe the nursery tag fell under a couch cushion…

: Lady Fern – Athyrium filix-femina. I have a love hate relationship with these. They are quite beautiful, but the fronts collapse and wither in the dry summer months. Our North Side Garden (shown here) is a Lady Fern breeding ground where they tend to overtake all the other plants.