278 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



January, 1901 



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The holly fern (Cyrfomium falcatam) is the best indoor 

 fern having glossy, darK green leaves. Easily grown 

 in leaf mold. Water freely and give an annual rest 



Partially developed plants will become 

 distorted in the half light of shaded summer 

 parlors, therefore it is better to wait for the 

 fronds to assume a natural pose and gain 

 strength enough to withstand disturbance 

 before transplanting. Greater length of 

 service is insured if fructification is not ad- 

 vanced. 



Aside from the selection of serviceable 

 species, discretion must be exercised in 

 choosing plants to fit the place assigned; 

 this is not difficult, as ferns in nature are 

 cropping up in all sorts of places and 

 growth is more or less governed by en- 

 vironment. 



For a bracket plant a specimen with droop- 

 ing fronds is much more graceful than one 

 of an upright growth. A one-sided develop- 

 ment is preferable for a corner situation. 

 The more vase-like and perfect the develop- 

 ment the better for a jardiniere stand or 

 centrepiece for a table of any kind. Ferns 

 hanging over an old log or other obstruction, 

 or swaying downward with roots anchored 

 to the bank above, are often exactly the right 

 shape for mantel decoration. 



RECEPTACLES OF ALL DEGREES 



The sort of receptacle in which to grow 

 our ferns is a matter of taste. There is a long 

 list to choose from between the ordinary 

 punctured flower pot and the undrained 

 silver fern dish. The more simple and un- 

 pretentious the better. Birch-bark baskets 

 are especially adapted for small ferns. Good- 

 sized jars and boxes may be pressed into 

 service for ferns of larger growth, and, when 

 glorified by a birch-bark cover, are really 

 artistic. An attractive arrangement is a 

 basket mounted on a tripod of white-birch 

 saplings, the bark carefully selected in order 

 to avoid cracks or flaws, for the presence of 

 either means leakage. 



THE PROBLEM OF DRAINAGE 



House-grown ferns quickly resent imper- 

 fect drainage. Even ferns which grow in 



swampy lowlands will not thrive in stagnant 

 water or sour soil. Broken crocks or other 

 porous matter will answer for drainage in 

 a flower pot, but sphagnum or other waste 

 moss should be freely used in other "con- 

 tainers" to take up superfluous water which 

 cannot be drained out. Glass fern dishes are 

 preferable to all others, because such dishes 

 lined with a sheet of moss over an inch of 

 pebbles are most artistic. The moss keeps 

 the soil inside from working down, and the 

 pebbles quickly show an overflow of water, 

 which may be drained off. It is well to have 

 the sheet of moss large enough to turn over 

 and pin down over the fern roots; this gives 

 a neat finish and prevents too rapid evapora- 

 tion. 



A most effective finish for the fern dish is 

 the so-called "gray moss," or even a fluted 

 gray lichen. The stiff growth becomes 

 pliable when wet and is then easily adjusted. 

 Just enough should be broken away to allow 

 the fronds to push through without damaging 



A stone liKe this is a good foundation for an indoor 

 rocKery. MaKe a base of cement to keep the stone firm 



the tender crosiers. This combination of 

 green and gray is very lovely. 



In a large jar for ferns fully a third of the 

 contents should consist of broken porous 

 material with several inches of moss above. 

 Light soil only should be used; often enough 

 is taken up with ferns to sustain life indoors 

 for months. 



Tin boxes can be made to fit any desired 

 space, a strip of birch bark fastened around 

 converting plebian material into something 

 artistic. Anything of this sort should be 

 painted inside to prevent rusting, and birch- 

 bark baskets are more desirable if lined with 

 tea lead. 



Another pretty device for holding potted 

 ferns of generous growth may be made of a 

 packing-box covered with bark and mounted 

 on a rustic standard of the sawhorse style of 

 construction. Such an arrangement is deco- 

 rative indoors or out, and serves a double 

 purpose if placed on a veranda just outside 

 of a window. 



The limited list of summer ferns for use 

 indoors is nearly all of the dryopteris family. 

 Dryopteris spinulosa, var. intermedia is by 

 far the most satisfactory. It is a beautiful 

 fern of good texture; it is easily uprooted, 

 rarely wilts, and will thrive anywhere if given 

 decent treatment. It excels all other species 

 in its indifference to change of light. It is 

 no small feat to get a good large plant un- 

 broken out of a tangled mass of underbrush. 

 There is but one way, to tuck the roots under 

 one's arm, holding the fronds back with the 

 elbow, and then go ahead. I have thus 

 secured many superb plants in perfertcondi- 

 tion for indoor decoration. 



The type shield fern (D. spinulosa) is also 

 of service. It usually grows more in the 

 open than either of its varieties, hence requires 

 a well-lighted room in order to hold its own. 

 The spreading shield fern (D. spinulosa, var. 

 dilatata) is big and plumy, beautiful in the 

 right place. The marginal shield fern 

 (D. marginalis) is of a rich blue-green 

 color, good for contrasting effects; it 

 bleaches quickly in shaded rooms, but 

 holds its green color for many months in 

 stronger light. 



The Christmas fern (Polystichum acros- 

 tichoides) is especially effective potted with 

 the maidenhair or the hardy shield fern. A 

 long, drooping specimen sweeping the air 

 from the top of a bookcase or other elevation 

 is very striking. The endurance of this 

 fern depends largely upon whether the roots 

 were disturbed in transplanting and on the 

 advance of fructification. I never knew a 

 matured specimen with heavily fruited tips 

 to be of much service indoors, but sterile 

 plants often keep in fair condition six or 

 eight months. 



THE MAIDENHAIR FOR SECOND CHOICE 



The native maidenhair (Adiantum peda- 

 tum) is second only to the hardy shield fern 

 (D. spinidosa, var. intermedia), and is to 

 many eyes more beautiful. No comparison 

 however should be made, as they are of dis- 

 tinct types. 



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Cover the base with moss and plant hardy ferns MKe 

 the purple cliff braKe and your rocKery is complete 



