Fern Garden Design

[Lis Allison]

Hello! I am new to this forum but have been growing native (mostly) ferns in Ontario, Canada for some years now.

What I am hoping to get some expert advice on, is the following. I have been asked to create a memorial fern garden in a semi-public native plants garden. The goal for the fern garden is to include as many as possible of the ferns listed in the booklet published by the person the garden is commemorating. The spot allocated for the garden has some advantages, but of course also some serious disadvantages. Specifically, it is at the top of a small rise, has sandy soil, a number of mature Red Maple and Sugar Maples, mature Red Ash and one Oak. There are also numerous shrubs and young Maples, Ash and Oaks. It is bounded by two public footpaths and I have made a new, narrower, wood chip covered third path joining them to make a triangle.

Now the problem. The area is very suitable for the deciduous woods ferns, such as Marginal Wood, Evergreen Wood, Spinulose Wood Fern and so on. Some, like Crested Wood Fern and Clinton's, Goldie's and so on, will do there as well. Crested probably won't be thrilled, but it will survive. Hay-scented will be delighted, but I plan to set it off on the other side of my new path so it won't get too overwhelming! Maidenhair will do very well also. But how do I manage Ostrich, Cinnamon, Interrupted.... to say nothing of Marsh and New York ferns? Would it work to make, in effect, small Holman bogs in the open areas between the large trees to support these damp-feet ferns? They couldn't be too large because of the trees - but could be a connected series.

I am also planning to, in another year, build a low limestone wall, bermed with soil on the south side, to make habitat for Fragile Fern, Woodsias, Aspleniums and so on. They will also suffer from the dry conditions, but I am hoping the bermed wall will act as a moisture reservoir.

There is really no other spot in the whole garden that would be better. There is a large pond, with a damp area near the exit of the stream that feeds it, but the sides are steep, the water is deep, and there are about a million ducks. A better fern garden could be made if the damp area plus some of the adjacent slope could be used, but it would require the use of a backhoe, the additional of a fair amount of soil, a lot of new trail, and a solution to the very public trail currently going nearby. It is a high traffic area and as I said, suffers from ducks. (Ducks may not sound serious, but hundreds of them are quite a problem. They eat anything green and do what ducks do everywhere. They also tempt the many dogs that pass by, so any planting would get trashed.) Putting a fern garden there is more than I could take on! The group responsible for the main garden has limited resources, so hiring help isn't an option.

Any comments, advice or questions will be welcome!

[Roger Golding]

Hi Lis

Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. For the damp-loving ferns, I think the simplest solution is just to to dig out an area to a depth of maybe a foot or so, line it with a sheet of plastic and then backfill it. Make sure the plastic is curved up around the edges but cover the edges with soil as well. What you end up with is an area that stays damp for very long periods. You may need to top up the moisture in very long dry periods, but it needs little maintenance. You can refine the basic idea by graduating the slope, piercing the plastic to allow more drainage if necessary, adding rocks to break up the area or provide stepping stones, etc. Basically it's a simple bog garden with minimum of work, and most damp-loving ferns will be fine with no more refinement than that.

cheers

Roger

[Lis Allison]

Hi Lis

Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. For the damp-loving ferns, I think the simplest solution is just to to dig out an area..... Basically it's a simple bog garden

Thanks Roger, that's a vote of confidence and much appreciated. What you describe is a Holman Bog, as I understand it. We'll probably do that, then, although we'll need to get permission from the site owners. They have to vet anything more complex than pulling a known weed as they have responsibility to keep the site in tune with their overall goals. I'm thinking it will be approved.

Happy Fern-y 2012, everyone!