Monday 12 May 2008

Fabulous Ferns and Gunnera.

Gunnera......this plant was given to me by my God daughter. It came as a small plant in a pot and looked really healthy. The leaves are already enormous this year. This area of the garden is naturally boggy, so the Gunnera thrives in this spot. It provides shelter from the heat in summer for many animals. In fact one year I was weeding, and to my surprise a small rabbit was watching me!!
These ferns are quite delicate and have the shelter of the Gunnera.

This is another view of the Gunnera, it will soon be above the plants that are crowding it at the moment.


Japanese Tassel Fern always look so lush and green.



Lady fern....now these like a lot of moisture, so they do get an odd bucket of water here and there.




This combination of ferns are in the small copse. They do well here it is shady and damp.





Wallichs Wood Fern.......they grow to quite a size. At least a metre high. They like rich soil and shelter, they have both here. I love ferns and this garden does them so well.






14 comments:

Meems said...

Cheryl, very nice display of so many varieties of ferns. I really like that Tassel Fern. I'm not familiar with Gunnera but will look it up to see what it likes. All your ferns make that area look kind of tropical. Is that the appeal or do you just happen to like ferns?
Meems @Hoe&Shovel

Cheryl said...

I like ferns...I plant them because I have the perfect environment for them. Damp soil for most of the year and plenty of shade. It can also be cool and damp here for a lot of the autumn and winter so it all helps them thrive.
Gunnera is a tropical plant. In the winter I cover it with hay and garden fleece over the top of that. If the frost got it,it would be a gonner!!!

Rose said...

Your ferns are beautiful, Cheryl. I have a small shade garden that I expanded last fall, but the bare root ferns I planted did not come up. But I do love them; looks like I will have to go plant shopping again!

Anonymous said...

That Gunnera looks like something you could later make a birdbath out of, you know, by covering a leaf in some sort of plaster.

Your ferns are lovely too Cheryl.
Very nice!

beckie said...

Oh Cheryl, so many lovely ferns! What beauties they all are. And the Gunnera is wonderful. Such a calm and peaceful garden.

Rusty in Miami said...

Nice collection of ferns. Here in the tropics they can be trouble, they tend to be invasive. But I like them anyway

Cheryl said...

Hi Rose...it is a shame when you plant something and it never grows, so disappointing. I remember many years ago someone said to me it doesn't matter what you pay for the plant it is the soil the makes the difference. I have always followed that rule and very rarely am I disappointed. I try to pay as little as possible on the plants but spend hours making that soil the best, farmyard manure etc.

Cheryl said...

Funny you should say that Becky I saw a bronze water feature once which had three gunnera leaves, one above the other. The water tumbled down them, it was stunning. A birdbath is a good idea.

Cheryl said...

Thank you Beckie, I love the ferns to especially the evergreens. I have some more to upload, but they are not up yet. Saving the best till last??

Cheryl said...

Hi Rusty....wish mine were invasive,it would fill up this space that I struggle with.
Tks for dropping by.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I love your fern collection Cheryl. I too collect them. None grow as well as the Ostrich ferns we have but I have been encouraging them for several years and they were actually here before I was so they had a good head start.

That Gunnera is quite a specimen plant. If it grew here i would have one.

Cheryl said...

I wish we lived nearer Lisa, I think you and I would divide plants and do a bit of sharing.
Gunnera is great, its hard getting it through a winter but I am not doing too badly at the moment.

Libbys Blog said...

Gunnera and ferns a great combination. I love the almost dinosaur type leaves of the gunnera against the dianty leaves of ferns. Super pics!

Cheryl said...

Thanks Libby, I must say I am chuffed with this planting combo.