10 



[RISH GARDENING 



Hardy Ferns for the Rock 

 Garden. 



A.MiiNi; all llif vjvrimis phmts written .ilmut. ami 

 rfnuimu'iult'd for (lie nuk ^'ardt-n. oiu- sclduin 

 si't's imu-li alxiiil. fiTUs. Vet. i-vcii aiimuK' <>iir 

 na(iv«' .s|i«'cij's tht-n* arr inauy of tin' smalli-r 

 kinds I'liiiurntly siiitahlt- for shady nooks and 

 trannifs in assoriat ion witli <dln'r jdants ri'<|uirin<j; 

 like ronditions Otii.-rs t^)o will llourisli in sunny 

 jilarcs under aiiparently dry eorulilions. and all 

 eontrihutini,' Ut the diversity of form which adds 

 so nuicli Ui the lieaiity oi" the alpine K'>I"<'<"'i. 

 As a flue t-o the sueee.ssfnl cultivation of such 

 ferns as are indicated, it is only necessary to 

 recall how the tiny '• Wall Kno." Asideniiuu 

 rula-nuiraria. estahlishes itself in the seams of 

 an old wall, revelling' in the crujuhlin^' mortar 

 and lindinv' therein abundance of moisture foi- 

 its modt'st needs. In addition, tliere are otliers 

 of e(|ual or even uri'ater beauty, tliough some of 

 the rarer kinds, it m\ist he confessed, call for 

 liatien<e and ]ierseverance to get tliem established. 



The .Nh>unta.in Par.sley fern, commonly called 

 in catalogues Allosoru.s crisjius. hut correctly 

 called Cryiitogramme cris])a. is a delightful 

 inhabitant" of stony idaces, and not inaptly 

 described .vs the I'arsley Fern, since the comjiact 

 t\ifts of fronds are not'unlike that ]ioi.ulai' herb, 

 Natiirally it prefers to grow between sf.ones. and 

 sliould on no account be .sul)jected to stagnant 

 moisture. 



We are so accustomed to associate Maiden- 

 Tlair ferns with indoor culture that we are prone 

 to overlook the fact that there i*^ a hardy specie.s 

 which is a rare native found only in a few places 

 in the warmer and more salubrious parts of 

 Britain and Ireland. Since, however, many otlier 

 rock ])lants are found to ])enelit by covering with 

 a sheet of glass in winter there is no reason why 

 some similar iirotection should not be afTorded 

 to Adiantum Capillus Veneris. Shady clitTs and 

 caves near the sea ?re .«aid to be the haunt of this 

 fascinating fern, and so in tlie rock garden an 

 overhanging rock or cave-like depression may 

 l>rovide a liap])y home for our native Maiden-Hair 

 in captivity. 



Asjiidiun"; I.,onehitJs. the Mountain Shield or 

 Holly fern, is a general favourite, and looks very 

 Iiand.some in its array of stitT i)rickly-looking 

 fronds. It is a truly mountain si)ecies, growing 

 in dam]) situations, Imt dillicult to transjdant 

 successfidly from its native hal)itat. Plants 

 from ]>ots, however, are 7)rocurable, and few who 

 attain success will regret some time and trouble 

 expended in the process. 



Tlie S])leenvvorts, or, as they are called 

 botanically, the Aspleniums, are desirable and 

 ])retty rock ])lants frequently found on dain]) 

 shady walls, but affecting various situations. 

 In most species the fronds are delicately ;md 

 beautifully divided and subdivided, rendering 

 them very pretty and gracefvil. 



Allusion has been made to A. ruta-muraria, 

 a dense tufty little si)ecies often found on old 

 walls, and wiiich niight, with advantage, be 

 introduced to the rock garden in fissures of rocks 

 and between stones. An uncommon species is 

 A. se])tentrionale, wliich has slender elongated 

 fronds divided at the ends into several divisions. 

 It is not highly ornamental, but affords an 

 interesting com])'arison with the other members 

 of the genus. Peaty, well-drained soil is essential. 



A \di;mt uiii-niu'ruiii is a r;illni' haudsoiuf leni 

 attaining a fair si/.e when growing strongly, but 

 usually the fronds are from four to six im-hes 

 long on w.ills or among rocks. The fact that it is 

 evi-rgri-en is an advantage, t.he triangular fronds, 

 with divided piiLiia; set' on dark purple stems, 

 foiining a prettv picture in a shaclv corner. 



The " .Maiden-llair Spl.-enwort." \. Tricho- 

 manes, and tin- " (ireen Spleenwoi-t,." A. viride. 

 are two very |»ret.ty kinds suitable for wall 

 cultivation or in cracks of shady rocks. Porous 

 soil is essential, since, though moisture is necessary, 

 excessive wet. is not desirable. The.st! two sjjecies 

 are.souu'what similar in t.he shai)e of their fronds, 

 which form small fla,t rosettes of great beauty. 

 The rachis or midrib of A. 'I'riihoinanes is black, 

 while in A. viride it is green. A. Ceteracli, some- 

 times called Ceteracli ollicinarum, is also known 

 as the Scaly fern. It is fairly abundant on old 

 walls in soiiu' districts, and is at once distinct 

 and pretty. T'he fronds are usually three to four 

 inches or less long, thick in texture, green above, 

 a.n<l covered with rusty brown scales (tn tin- 

 under surface. It is not always easy U) establisli 

 in cultivation, but when once induced to grow 

 •soon makes a very ])retty tuft, (iritty soil with 

 a large pro|)iu-tiou of old mortar suits it well, 

 and it will often grow in sun as well as in shade. 



Hiechnum si)ica.nt. al.so known as the Hard 

 Fern,, from the stiff hard nature of the fronds, is 

 a. j)retty native. It is fairly easy to grow anu)ng 

 shady rocks in moist peaty soil. The fronds are 

 of two kinds, V)arren and fertile, both being 

 narrow in outline, but the barren ones are more 

 dee|)ly cut than those bearing .s]»()res. 



liotrychium Lunaria is an interesting fern. 

 also known as the Moonwort. It occurs among 

 dam)) rocks in nature, and should be tried in a 

 similar situation in the rock garden. It is not 

 exactly easy to cultivate, but a colony in the 

 rock garden would l)e sure to ])lease. The fronds 

 are composed of two ])arts, one barren and the 

 other fertile, the segments of the barren jiart 

 being crescent-shaped. 



Cystopteris fragilis, the Bladder Fern, is a 

 ])retty sjjecies, spreading freely in ])eaty soil, 

 forming a most refreshing ])atch of greenery 

 during summer. The fronds grow about 6 inches 

 high, and are elegantly divided. 



The ]*ol\i)odiums are an intere-sting family 

 containing many l)eautifid s])ecies and varieties. 

 To these lielong the po])ular Oak and Beech 

 Ferns called res])ectively P. Dryo])teris and 

 P. Phego])teris. Both spread very freely when 

 doing well, and it is not advisable t<^> introduce 

 them near choice alpines. A shady ])osition in 

 loose soil containing a good ]jro])ortion of leaf- 

 mould will suit them. In P. Phego])teris the 

 frond is in one ])art made u]) of numerous pinnaa, 

 dee])ly, to(jthed, but in P. I)ryo])teris the frond 

 is branched and the pinnae also deei)ly cut. 



The common Polypody P. vidgare is jiretty 

 well knowii, and in its liner varieties is one of 

 the most charming of hardy ferns. The varieties 

 cambricum, cornubiense, elegantissimum, and 

 many others are extremely beautiful, and spread 

 freely when doing well. A fairly light soil and 

 shade from fierce sun gives the finest fronds, 

 though the ])lant will grow also in sunny ]»laces. 



Only the smaller growing British ferns have 

 been menti<med in these notes. There are many 

 very beautif^d kinds among the larger growing 

 species, which are sadly neglected in mo.st 

 gardens. B., Dublin. 



