Ferns

There are many oak trees shading My Garden Path.  Dappled sunlight filtering through the branches is the perfect environment  for most ferns. 

I am pleased to find this Bird's Nest Fern, Asplenium nidus, has made it through the winter unscathed by any cold damage.  Plans are to add more of this fern in the coming year. 

New fronds are so pretty as they unfurl from the center of the plant.  The acidic soil here under the oaks is agreeing well with my Bird's Nest fern.

This pot of Rabbit's Foot Fern, Davallia fejeensis, sits at the edge of the tree canopy getting bright light but no direct sun.  The "feet" are completely enveloping the pot.  This is a heavy pot.  The cold weather seems to agree with this fern as it has more fronds during winter than during the summer.

   

Oh yes, I did.  I planted Asparagus Fern, Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri', on purpose.  I have been digging it up ever since and it won't go away.  It looks nice as a backdrop for a bromeliad but it's a constant battle to keep it from taking over the entire planting bed.  This is a fern on the list of plants to not add in the coming year.

Here is an example of a naturally occuring fern.  Resurrection Fern, Polypodium polypodioides, is attached to several of the oak trees in the front yard.  Rain gives it life and green color.  Dry weather causes it to curl up and turn brown until the next drops of moisture come along.  I hope this fern continues to spread over the trunks of these trees.  It gives a very woodsy, natural Florida appearance to the garden. 

Without a doubt, Leatherleaf fern, Rumohra adiantiformis, is my favorite fern.  It holds up well in the cold weather as long as it is under the tree cover.  A clump which lives in a more open area shows some frost damage on the tips but otherwise it sails through freezing temperatures.  This fern makes a great background for bromeliads.  It spreads by rhizomes but not invasively.  The leaves work well in flower arrangements and last a long time in a vase.

Holly Fern, Cyrtomium falcatum, is the most cold hardy of all the ferns here along the path.  Only two were planted last year and they have held up well through the heat of summer and the cold of winter.  These are slowly increasing in a clumping fashion.  Very slowly.  The plan is to add many more of these ferns. 

A fiddlehead of the Australian Tree Fern, Cyathea cooperi, is unfurling now that we've had warmer weather.  This is a small specimen that only stands about a foot tall and doesn't yet have a trunk.  This is one of the few plants I cover if freezing temperatures are forecast.  It is under quite a bit of tree cover so it may be all right without the extra care but I'm not ready to take a chance on it this year. 

Ferns are a great filler for my shady garden.  It's been great to find that several do very well during cold weather.  They may be more of a background plant during other times of the year, but during winter they shine as they keep the color green in the garden. 

A Cold Calculating View

As I walk around the garden these days I do so with a view to assess what has worked well during this cold winter season.  I want to be sure to place more of these plants to help keep some structure going at all times of the year.

Sweet Alyssum, Lobularia maritima, is still blooming and reseeding on the sunnier side of the garden.  It and the Pansies, Viola x wittrockiana,  make a great winter annual combination.  There are lots of little seedlings of something sprouting up in that area.  I sure hope they aren't really weeds.  Since there were blanket flowers and some other butterfly attracting flowers there this past spring, I'm waiting to see what they turn into before pulling them.

Two baby Cardboard Palms, Zamia furfuracea, live along the path and amazingly they both have come through the cold unscathed.  The oak canopy must offer them just the right amount of protection.  This is just another example of micro-climates within the same gardening zone.  Often, I see plants that seem cold-hardy or heat-tolerant in another garden only to find they don't react the same way in my garden.  In this case the opposite happened.  I saw freeze-dried Cardboard Palms in another garden and thought for sure mine would never make it as my garden tends to be in a cold pocket.  The tree coverage seems to be the key to helping these little cycads survive.  The Neoregelia 'Burgundy' are doing quite well placed in front of the Sweet Almond bush.  The poor Sweet Almond, Aloysia virgata, while not seemingly affected by the cold, has had it's leaves pierced and beaten by an overabundance of falling acorns.

The Birdsnest Fern, Asplenium nidus 'Osaka', and Holly Fern, Cyrtomium falcatum, have earned their spots with their ability to not show even a smidgen of winter stress.  Definitely, I am on the look-out for more of these.

The Abutilon is still blooming and producing new leaves.  There seem to be many cultivars of this plant, different colors, and different flower sizes.  I do like the light peach color with dark red veining of this one, but I'm going to be on the look-out for some other colors too.  After the last December freeze some of the larger leaves turned yellow and dropped off.  You would never know it now as it is full of new green growth and weathered the January freeze just fine.  Sometime in February, when the promise of spring is more sure, I plan to take cuttings and spread this cold survivor around in other places along the path.  As an added bonus, the hummingbird visited this plant quite often this past fall.

Lots of Florida gardeners are singing the praises of Camellias this year.  This, Camellia sasanqua 'Shishi Gashira', is blooming in the backyard garden.  Two more Sasanquas have been purchased to add to this area, another 'Shishi Gashira' and a 'Mine-No-Yuki.'  The second one has a ruffly white flower which I'm hoping will be showing up in future posts soon as it is presently covered in buds.

I am thoroughly enjoying the glorious Florida weather we have been experiencing this week.  It sure gets the gardening juices flowing.