FERNS FOR THE GARDEN 
LEWIS AND MARY THEISS 
One of the Most Luxuriant Forms of Vegetation in the World, This Group Has Possibilities In the 
Way of Immediate Effects As Well As Permanent Beauty of Which Too Few Gardens Take Advantage 
of 
H h secret 
success in 
growing Ferns 
is to observe 
closely their environ- 
ment in their native 
habitat and to repro- 
duce, as nearly as pos- 
sible, those native 
conditions. Some, 
such as the Slender 
Cliff-brake, prefer 
rocks on which to 
dwell; but commonly 
most are found grow- 
ing in pure leafmold. 
In its nature this is 
very different from 
the soil in our gardens, 
the constant decay of 
the leaves rendering 
the resulting soil acid. 
And there seems to be 
no doubt about its be- 
A MIXED PLANTING IS RICH IN INTEREST 
The largest here is Goldie's Shield Fern on the left, next is Clayton’s Flowering Fern on the right, 
while underneath these high and mighty dignitaries grows the Oak Fern (Phegopteris Dryopteris) 
ing more important to reproduce this acid condition than it is 
to reproduce the moisture conditions in which they grow. 
The simplest way to do this is to secure soil in which Ferns 
are growing in a natural state. In collecting we invariably 
take duplicate receptacles half of which are filled with Ferns 
and half with soil from their habitat. By digging a considerable 
hole and lining it with this soil, a Fern can be replanted in a soil 
that is locally exactly similar to that from which it came. 
Acid soils can also be manufactured by mixing sand with de- 
caying leaves, perhaps one-third of the mixture being leaves. 
Some of the ranker growing varieties do well in ordinary garden 
soil to which has been added well rotted horse manure. 
But observation must not end with the variety of soil. The 
way in which the plant grows in that soil must be studied also. 
Practically all the Ferns mentioned in this article have their 
crowns nearly level with the surface of the ground. A few 
however, like the Silver Spleenwort, the Rattlesnake Fern 
(Botrychium virginianum), Goldie’s Woodfern, the Sensitive 
Fern (Onoclea sensibilis), the Common Brake, and the Maiden- 
hair Fern have their crowns from one to three or four inches 
below the surface. A Fern that normally has its crown level 
with the earth cannot stand being buried under several inches 
of soil, nor can one that normally requires deep soil-cover, en- 
dure exposure. In planting therefore, one must be careful to 
plant not only in congenial soil but also in the way they grow. 
ered. According to 
Mr. Edward Gillett, 
the noted Fern grower, 
the season of planting 
does not seem to make 
much difference : either 
spring or fall is favor- 
able. But fall plant- 
inghas this advantage. 
The gardener sees the 
plant growing and 
knows what he is 
getting. In early 
spring, before growth 
starts, he may make a 
mistake. 
It is to be noted 
that most Ferns grow 
on sloping ground, 
where drainage is good. 
That is a hint Fern 
growers cannot afford 
to overlook. Good 
drainage is essential 
with most varieties though lowland Ferns, of course, thrive 
where it is wet. Many persons whose ground is very dry may 
be puzzled to know how to succeed with Ferns that require 
considerable moisture. Dense planting is the solution. The 
earth is never dry under a board. Plant small Ferns under 
taller ones, densely, so as to cut off both light and air, and the 
low Ferns will act as a mulch and prevent evaporation. An 
occasional good soaking with the hose will keep such a spot moist 
even in the warmest weather. The desert alone is really dry. 
And it is dry (and ugly) because it is devoid of vegetation. 
H 
E XPERIMENTS have shown that Ferns can be transplanted 
at any time though it is better to move them in early 
spring or in the fall. When moved in summer, their fronds 
should be cut off. New ones will come up, though the second 
growth will not be so vigorous that year as that removed. 
Whenever they are planted they should be set firmly in their 
new locations and be well watered for some time, so that they 
will become strongly rooted. If they are shifted in the fall they 
should have a mulch of leaves to protect them from the winter 
and to help retain the moisture in the soil; but care must be 
taken not to make the mulch too heavy lest the plants be smoth- 
OW Ferns shall be used depends entirely upon circumstances. 
The immediate environment and the general conditions of 
a place determine whether there shall be a distinct Fern garden 
or merely clumps of Ferns here and there. And the varieties 
to be employed depend, of course, upon the uses to which they 
are put. But no matter what the needs may be, Nature has 
provided a suitable form. Furthermore, there are hardly to be 
found in the whole vegetable realm plants that are easier to 
grow than Ferns. As before observed all that is necessary to 
command success with them is ability to note closely and to 
imitate well. 
For the new house, Ferns are indeed a boon (and one very 
great advantage of them is the fact that so many varieties are 
evergreen. Twenty useful kinds that can be easily cultivated 
remain green all winter). Next to a barren yard, bare founda- 
tion walls are painfully conspicuous, and the average new 
house stands out as noticeably as a tied-up sore thumb — and 
for the same reason. It is a sort of excrescence. It needs trees 
and shrubs and vines and other green things about it to form a 
proper setting and conceal its newness. But these require time 
for their development. 
The Fern however will grow, if not with the speed of Jack’s 
bean-stalk, at least with surprising and pleasing rapidity. 
And as those varieties that die down through the winter put 
forth their fronds early in spring, renewing quickly and without 
effort on the part of the gardener the picture he has created 
16 
