Growing Ferns in Ohio

Yardboy's Plant to Ponder

This week, our first group comes from Olivia Radcliffe, an OSU student interning at our nursery, majoring in horticulture / communications. I asked her to choose and write about one of her favorite plants, and this week, she has chosen ferns! Her nickname, by the way, is 'Pint Jar'. :)

As the days grow cooler and moisture (slowly but surely) returns to the ground, ferns make a welcome and surprisingly colorful addition to shade gardens. Here are a few of my favorites: Polystichum acrostichoides (aka Christmas Fern, pictured): Growing to a height and width of 2'x2', this fern makes for a good accent plant grown alone or in a group. The deep green leaves are slightly serrated, giving it the "Christmasy" feel that gave it its name. This fern is also evergreen, providing winter interest even during the holidays. Dryopteris marginalis (aka Marginal Wood Fern): Also an evergreen fern, it grows to a maximum of 2'x2'. Wood ferns mix well with native plants, in wild gardens, or in a woodland setting, hence its name. Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliant' (aka Autumn Brilliant Shield Fern): Growing to a height and width of 2.5'x2.5', this fern's main claim to fame is its glossy leaves which change from a dark green to a light green to a russet in cooler temperatures, imitating trees changing color in the autumn. Athyrium niponicum var. pictum (aka Japanese Painted Fern): These ferns are slightly smaller than the previous two varieties (1.5'x2'). Although not evergreen, the grayish-green fronds mixed with a silver overlay and contrasting maroon midribs make this plant a colorful addition to the garden. Matteuccia struthiopteris (aka Ostrich Fern): These feathery bright-green fronds can grow to a height of 6' and a spread of 8', making it an impressive addition.

Great list! Thanks Olivia! You know, I think we have a tendency to forget about ferns when looking to plant shady or semi-shady locations, and there are so mnay to chose from, with great sizes and foliages. I like one called Krauss Gold Tips fern - grows 6-8 inches tall, gets 10 inches wide - and its wonderful unique golden foliage says it all! Remember when planting ferns most like loamy evenly moist soils, so amend the soil with compost, SweetPeet, pine soil conditioner, etc, and keep those roots evenly moist (not soggy) as they get themselves established. Check out our great selection of ferns at the years Nursery Outlet Sale!

Okay, here's my list of plants to ponder for this week:

Looking for some late summer colors to add to your landscape? Well, I've got a few more late bloomers for you to consider! Caryopteris - or commonly known as Bluebeard or Blue-spirea - is what I would consider an herbaceous shrub for the garden - which means chances are, you'll be cutting it back to the ground in the spring (like a perennial) and letting it totally re-grow thru the summer. Now most Caryopteris have wonderful blue green leaves with a silvery tomentose underneath. And of course, late summer shades of blues and purples flowers. Some of the more popular selections of Caryopteris include First Choice with dark purple flowers, Dark Knight with deeper blue flowers, Sunshine Blue with the blue flowers and yellow foliage, and a variegated white and green foliage selection named Snow Fairy. Another late blooming garden shrub is Lespedeza - or commonly known as Shrub Bushclover. Lespedeza is an open, upright, weeping shrub that can reach 6 feet or more by seasons end, which by the way, becomes covered with these wonderful rosey-purple late summer flowers. Again, treat this one like an herbaceous perennial and cut it back in the spring. And here's one of my favorites - Callicarpa, or commonly known as Beautyberry. Another shrub that gets cut back in the spring, Callicarpa can grow anywhere from 3-6 feet tall. During the growing season, it looks like your normal leafy shrub, but come late August and into September, it begins to show colors with these small clusters of pink flowers, followed by one of the most uniquely colored berries you'll ever see. The berry colors are hard to describe, but are a violet to magenta color - I like to call them an electric metallic blue. And trust me - that color berry is one you won't find on any other fruiting shrub. It is simply spectacular.
[It is not an optical illusion. It just looks like one.]