Surrey Homes | SH54 | April 2019 | Garden supplement inside

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Wardian case by one Dr Nathaniel Ward. He realised
that ferns grew well in nearly sealed containers
and thus every house that possibly could, had ferns
growing indoors in either a fern case or terrarium.
Not only that, Victorian houses and public buildings
were often embellished with ironwork incorporating fern
imagery. Ferns decorated every possible object in a Victorian
house including wallpaper, tablecloths and curtains. The
craze even extended to ferns being carved onto coffins.
Ferns are an ancient family of plants. Work done on
early fern fossils has established that they pre-date the
Mesozoic period of over 360 million years ago. They are
older than the dinosaurs and any land animals and thrived
on the Earth for 200 million years before any flowering
plants evolved. They are a member of a group of vascular
plants that do not flower or set seed but reproduce via
spores and have very specialised tissues that conduct
both water and nutrients around their structure.
One of the most exotic-looking ferns growing in the UK
are the chain ferns or woodwardia. To say that they are
theatrical is an understatement. The fronds of Woodwardia
unigemmata, AGM can reach 1.5 metres and the croziers
are a rich and vibrant dark orange when they emerge in
the spring. Once the plant matures, it grows young plants
“Ferns thrived on Earth for 200 million
years before any flowering plants evolved”
on the tips of its fronds which arch over and take root.
The reason for the name ‘chain fern’ is that their
sporing bodies are arranged on the back of the
fronds in a row resulting in a chain-like pattern
which shows through to the top of the frond.
I had a good look at the fronds of the woodwardia
that I spotted at Great Dixter recently (it’s evergreen
which is all the more reason for growing it) and the
chain pattern was very pronounced on the top of the
frond. That one is growing in a very sheltered position
protected by a wall and by various shrubs which
keep the winter winds from shredding its fronds.
Woodwardia fimbriata is another giant chain fern
with fronds up to six feet long and whilst it is hardy
down to about -5 degrees C, it is happiest in a moist
soil and a sheltered aspect. Or perhaps in a pot which
can be moved into a greenhouse or garage during the
winter. If left out, bracken (another fern) wrapped
around the base will help protect the plant.
If you do decide to keep ferns in a pot, a good
growing medium would be three parts multi-purpose,
part loam and part horticultural sand. A grouping
of the evergreen or wintergreen ferns is so beautiful
particularly in small or courtyard gardens where they
provide such fabulous winter interest and work well with
emerging winter aconites, snowdrops and hellebores.
Evergreen ferns can be good in shaded, perhaps
dreary spots. Blechnum chilense, AGM, a large fern
with dark green narrow leathery leaves is good for this
sort of site but also looks amazing in a pot. Native to
Chile, it apparently lines the sides of the roads there.
There are so many thousands of ferns to discover, mostly
with unpronounceable Latin names but don’t be put off as
their common names are much more manageable. Take the
tatting fern, Athyrium filix-femina ‘Frizelliae’, whose fronds
resemble lace tatting. This is hardy and deciduous and so
very decorative. Each leaflet looks like a little ruffled fan.
These ‘Lady Ferns’ were amongst the many ferns that
were so popular with the Victorians when there were
hundreds of named forms. This one was named after
a Mrs Frizell who discovered it in Ireland in 1857.
Another named form was found by a Victorian student
called James Cosh who apparently stepped on the plant as
he jumped over a wall. The leaves break from the stem at an
angle forming a V shape and thus the plant was named after
Queen Victoria. Hence Athyrium filix-femina ‘Victoriae’.
There are ferns for every situation, even the driest patches
under trees. Try aspleniums, polypodiums and polystichums
in dry shade but give them a good start by incorporating leaf
mould, bone meal and plenty of organic matter. Keep them
well watered until they take off and you should be fine.
The native Asplenium scolopendrium seems to be lining
ditches and shady stream banks whenever I’ve seen it, but it
seems to be a survivor and can cope with drier conditions.
The little asplenium that clothes walls in great profusion,
particularly in old stone walls in the West Country, is now
known as Asplenium ceterach or more simply, the rustybacked
fern, and was used in its guise as a spleenwort to treat
diseases of the spleen. You know these ferns are survivors as
in hot weather the leaves wither and you lose sight of them,
but as soon as the rain comes, they spring to life again.
Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948 for
gardening advice and help in sourcing and supply of
interesting garden plants.
Help and advice
For all your gardening needs
surrey-homes.co.uk/gardens
Left and below: There
are many thousands of
ferns to discover
SH Garden Supplement
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