About Ferns, How to Choose and Glossary
Welcome to the World of Ferns!
Ferns are wonderful architectural plants! Beautiful, versatile, fascinating, tactile, robust and long-lived and give a sense of well-being to your home, garden, conservatory and workspace.
Each plant is a miracle of nature! Existing in two forms and having an amazing sex-life!
Ferns are some of the most successful plants on earth having been around for millennia. Science recognises over 12,000 species of ferns from all over the world. They can be found floating, submersed, climbing, at the edges of water, in crevices, woodlands, deserts, in mountains and high up in the canopy of tropical rain-forest trees.
Our range comprises the broadest range of plants in Europe and possibly the world and we are continually adding new types for your enjoyment. There is likely to be a plant for every situation in your home and garden in our collection of beautiful ferns from all over the world.
Look below to find out more about:
Choosing and using ferns
Planting out
Glossary
Choosing and using ferns
What are the conditions like where you are going to plant?
Open or shade - Ferns are remarkably tolerant of a wide range of soil, moisture and light conditions. It is a misconception to assume that all ferns like damp and shady places as there are many that thrive in a dry and sunlit position, providing they are sited out of full midday sun. Avoid very windy sites as this may damage larger plants.
Soil moisture - Most ferns will tolerate dryness, with some exceptions such as the Royal Ferns - the Osmunda and Blechnum that need moisture at their roots. Ferns particularly suited to drier conditions, such as under trees, are the Maidenhair ferns (Adiantum), Dryopteris and Pellaea species. The Desert Ferns - the Cheilanthes will thrive in full sun provided the soil is well drained such as in alpine gardens or containers.
Acid, limey or clay - The majority of ferns are very accommodating to a variety of soil types. In our experience most ferns will thrive in neutral clay conditions, others particularly Blechnum, Doodia, Cryptogramma and some Cheilanthes need soil on the acid side of neutral. Ferns very tolerant of lime include Asplenium scolopendrium, Polypodium australe and Polystichum setiferum. Others including Dryopteris, are not fussy. A useful means of providing lime for ferns is to add some crushed lime mortar (from an old wall) to the site where they will be planted.
What effect are you trying to achieve?
The wonderful thing about ferns is that there are so many frond shapes, colours, textures, hues and heights. You can plant individual plants or a number together to get a lush, tropical effect or a range of sizes to get a tiered effect. Do you want blocks of colour or plants showing a range of characteristics or a collection from a region or country, for example, Japanese ferns?
How many plants will you need for the area to be covered?
As a general rule, plants will spread to at least twice the distance as they are high, so for example a plant 12" (30cm) high will be approximately 24" (60cm) across. So plants that grow to 15" (39cm) high we recommend that three are planted to a square metre, smaller plants five to a square metre and larger plants one, two or three depending on the effect you are trying to get.
Planting Out
Give the plants a thorough watering before planting out. Ferns are, as a rule, fairly shallow rooting and should therefore be planted no deeper than the pot with any unfurling croziers just at the soil surface. Incorporate a little bone-meal (using gloves!) and leaf molds or other organic matter to speed root establishment. Water well to get plants established and in severe drought.
An interesting point to note: if the fern croziers are unfurling and the plant is moved, it is likely that the unfurled frond will be contorted, this is particularly obvious in the tree-ferns but can also be seen in smaller plants.
Glossary of terms used on our website, brochure and catalogue
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Pinnate - The leaflets (pinnae) are arranged on both sides of the frond midrib producing a fairly simple frond
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Pinnatifid - The pinnae are not fully separate but are connected to their neighbours by leaf tissue
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Bipinnate - There are further series of leaflets (pinnules) arranged on both sides of the pinna midrib, which results in a fairly feathery frond
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Tripinnate - There are yet further leaflets (pinnulets) arranged on both sides of the pinnule midrib, which results in a very feather frond
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Crozier - The coiled young frond of a fern
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Rachis - The frond midrib or stem
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Stipe - The frond stem below the leafy part
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Frond - The 'leaf' of the fern
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Dry - Dry conditions such as in stony and well-drained soil.
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Damp - Plants will tolerate most conditions from dry to moist soil, but never drying out completely.
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Moist - Plants prefer to have roots in moist soil.
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Wet - Pond sides or boggy areas. In gardens where there is no natural water, try planting above a polythene sheet (e.g. old compost bag) about. Set 6 inches below soil surface to impede drainage.
Contact us by telephone: +44 (0)1248 600385 / +44 (0)7875 093352 or email: info@world-of-ferns.co.uk