Shuttlecock fern
thewith DOZEN years ago, I moved from the hustle of Portobello Road in Notting Hill, where I had a studio around the corner from Hugh Grant’s famous blue door, to somewhere completely different, countryside of Wicklow.
The daily grind changed from dealing with hundreds of people bumping into each other in narrow streets and the shouts of barrow boys selling their vegetables and cheap fashion, to walks with the dogs in dingly dells, from noise to silence, from concrete to green.
Much of that green was provided by the carpet of growth underneath deciduous woodlands… plantations of ferns thriving in these misty isles’ perfect conditions.
I’ve always loved ferns and use them in my garden, from mini forests of the outdoor monster Dicksonia antarctica to different varieties under my birch trees in the front garden.
Nothing evokes the forest floor more than a group of ferns. They can be deciduous which gives you the added bonus of the fresh green fronds emerging in spring, or evergreen, which gives a companionable feel over the winter months. They ideally like shade or dappled light and moist humus-rich soil.
Outside the traditional shady or woodland garden, ferns are perfect to mix in a small border and bring drama to a courtyard. A good container will help show off the individual beauty of some of the species.
Looking after them isn’t too hard. Give them the right soil conditions with lots of organic matter and moisture. In deciduous forms you just let the foliage die back and cover the base – this protects them over winter.
Some will need a bit more protection so use horticultural fleece or a little mound of organic matter.
With evergreen ferns, just tidy up the foliage throughout the year.
Be careful when cutting back in spring as it’s easy to snip the fiddleheads of new fronds.
Ferns pair well with other woodland species such as spring bulbs – Anemone nemorosa and crocus spring to mind – and nestling in foxgloves and aquilegias.
Their love of humidity makes them perfect for bottle gardens which are
AIt’s hardy in temperate climates, but may need some protection when young or newly planted, so choose a slightly sheltered site to be safe. Stuff straw into the crown to protect fronds from frost.
MATTEUCCIA STRUTHIOPTERIS
CLOTHED in the brightest of bright green the emerging spring fronds are