Japanese Ferns for Temperate Gardens

Nature made ferns for pure leaves to show what she could do in that line.
Henry D. Thoreau

For many gardeners the love of plants dates far back into childhood where, with no formal instruction, the child was touched by some magic of nature — perhaps the first snow­ drops or crocuses of spring, a fragrant rose, the beguiling face of a pansy, or even the delightfully perverse pleasure of puffing the seeds of a dandelion. Only a few, however, have taken up gardening because of tranquil woodland memories of a particular fern. It is usually not until much later in life (and sometimes never ) that the subtleties of form and texture equal the attraction of a flower. Ferns, of course, have no flowers, but their varied greenery can give unity to the most colorful gardens, and their diversity can provide a lifetime of study and fascination.

Many growers start their fern collections with natives — an excellent idea — or some of the many cultivars from Great Britain, but some of the best species, especially evergreens, are from Japan. There are choices for every garden size and situation, and many are colorful as well. Among the most readily available are several landscape workhorses, s...