96 



Beautiful Ferns 



uniformly cool and moist. The vast majority appre- 

 ciate shade. The perfectly delicate and beautiful North 

 American Maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum), content in 

 cool, almost sunless spots, is prone to be touched by 

 cutting wind or frost in spring, and should be given a 

 sheltered place. It is a quite deciduous species. The 

 dwarf-growing crested Hart's Tongues in many 

 varieties merit attention apart; the intensity of the 

 green shining fronds is noteworthy, and their heavily 

 tasselled and often much divided extremities provide 

 them with a presence of their own. Too much trim- 

 ness among Ferns in the places we have in mind might 

 prove quite wrong. There is natural protection in the 

 old bronzed fronds, and the Fern quarter is not to be 

 regarded as a flower bed on terrace or lawn. Planting 

 may be done from March to October, though, prefer- 

 ably, during the early spring months, informal group- 

 ing, such as that shown in Fig. 46, being desirable. 



