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Rustic Adornments. 
lastreas and athyriums of all sorts, will do exceedingly well, growing most 
vigorously and needing no attention after planting. 1 he osmunda, 
struthiopteris and Ihe Onoclea sensibi/is , a North American fern, absolutely 
revel in a moist position. 
In the ordinary level herbaceous border, which gets very little sun, the 
Male Fern {Lastrea FiZix-mas), Lady Fern ( Athyrium Filix-foemina), Buckler 
Fern ( Lastrea dilitata ), Spring Buckler Fern ( Lastrea spinulosd), Bracken 
Fern ( 'Pteris aquilino ), and its varieties, F. a. cristata and F. a. congesta , will 
succeed highly satisfactorily in association with shade-loving perennials. 
One thing must be guarded against when grown thus, and that is, 
disturbing their roots by digging. Ferns dislike disturbance at the roots, 
and therefore it is advisable to guard against this by growing them in 
groups here and there ; then the necessity for digging between them will be 
dispensed with. 
In small town and suburban gardens there is ample scope for growing 
ferns. Here there are usually one or two shady corners in which most other 
plants fail to grow. A small fernery can easily be formed in such positions, by 
first placing a heap of soil and then dropping a few stones or burrs here and 
there over the heap, so as to form a few small beds for the ferns. A narrow 
border, too, by the side of a shady fence can be raised a foot or so above the 
surface by means of burrs and mould, and converted into an excellent 
position for growing ferns. Again, round or oval beds in the shade raised 
in the same manner may be turned to a similar account, and so on. No 
elaborate rockery is required for common ferns ; simply a heap of good soil 
and a few burrs or stones, as already described, are all that is needed. The 
surface of the soil can be carpeted with creeping jenny, London pride, 
periwinkle, or musk, and between the ferns primroses and lily of the valley 
may be grown to flower in spring. To keep the ferns in good health, a fresh 
layer of good soil should be added annually to the surface, and abundance 
of water given in dry weather. As previously explained, do not lift oftener 
than you can possibly help. Whenever it is necessary to do so, April is the 
best time. 
Thus far we have briefly sketched an outline of the cultivation of hardy 
ferns. The scope of the present work precludes us from entering into 
minute details, but we think sufficient has been said to give the reader a 
general idea of this most popular branch of horticulture, so far as it applies to 
the garden. 
