92 A LITTLE BOOK OF PERENNIALS 



The Lady Fern grows from 2 feel to 3 feet tall and has Imely cut 

 foliage, while the Male Fern is an evergreen sort growing about 18 

 inches high. 



The Walking Fern {Campiosorus rhizophyllus) is a low creeping 

 fern. It grows in little tufts with evergreen fronds which take 

 root when they touch the ground, forming other small plants. 



The Climbing or Hartford Fern {Lygodium palmatum) is another 

 small, dainty fern. Its slender stalk will grow from 1 foot to 4 feet 

 high, with smaU, palmately cut leaves. 



The Christmas Fern, Asplenium acrostichoides, is an evergreen 

 sort and is more showy in Winter than in Summer. It is especially at 

 home in rocky places, prefering moisture and shade. 



The Aspidiums, especially A. marginale and A. spinulosa, are 

 attractive ferns for moist places. 



A very common fern, the Common Polypody, Polypodium vulgare, 

 although not individually beautiful, is seen to advantage upon the 

 ledges of gorges where it forms dense mats of foliage. 



There are a great many different species of ferns and if they are 

 carefully studied, almost any corner in any garden can be supplied 

 with a touch of fern. 



Uses. Since most of these ferns require a shady and moist situa- 

 tion, they can be massed along shady, woodland paths, at the edges 

 of ponds or along the sides of streams. Many are good for planting on 

 the north side of houses and as edges for borders. The small ones are 

 ahnost invaluable for the rock garden or near niiall artificial waterfalls. 

 In the ordinary garden very pretty effects are gained by planting the 

 early flowering bulbous plants among them, because the fronds of the 

 ferns begin to unfurl very early in Spring. Collections of hardy ferns 

 are extremely interesting. Many of the sorts are good for cutting 

 during the Summer. 



Culture. Very few of these ferns will grow in sunny situations. 

 Try to imitate nature when planting them in your gardens. Shady or 

 semi-shady places aie best, planted underneath trees and around tall 

 shrubbery, where the plants will be more or less protected from the 

 sun and hot, dry winds. Good drainage is absolutely necessary and it 

 is advisable to raise the fern bed 3 inches or 4 inches in order to insure 

 this. Plenty of water should be supphed during the dry Summer 

 months. In preparing the soil, dig as deeply as the roots of the trees 

 will allow. If the soil is clayey or poor, use plenty of decayed leaves, 

 peat, manure and other loose materials. The soil should be very fine, 

 light and porous. When planting the small ferns in the rockery almost 



