Your neck of the woods, countdown to SPRING 2013,4 days left

And--it is most becoming!!! Green on green.....
Not sure about the blue shoes.....

What kind of ferns does everyone grow? I've received a few ferns in the last couple of years but only recently managed to not kill them.

My favorite is the ostrich fern, which is really loving my wet clay. The Christmas fern must like it drier, because it's still having a tough time getting established.

Is it true that the ostrich fern dies or disappears in the summer?

ss...

I have 2 pretty large perennial Ferns and another, smaller one by my bird bath.
! have NO idea what they are called....
I also have 2 of the small "Japanese Painted ferns"--which are a beautiful, silvery green color.
They are barely 6"-8" high--so perfect for small beds and rock gardens.

They "disappear" in the winter...and grow back each spring.
My garden is not at all "woodsy"--I live in a development....

Gita

We can't seem to get ahead of the weeding and cleaning beds. Hopefully we will have things a bit more under control by planting time (Mother's Day). I'm a little behind in the garden also, too many irons in the fire. I want too get some more things seeded this week. Breaks over, I'm heading back out.

Check out this beautiful front yard full of epimediums (I think) and verigated solomans seal.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1308960/
Birthday thread for Robin!

Wow Paul, I love that solomon's seal.

Sure is pretty and what is that other plant in the second pic? What are they doing with the Bamboo?

I think that is a epimedium. The bamboo is a fence.

WHOA that's a lot of Solomon' s Seal

What epimedium is that?

No idea. I wanted to pull some up. I didn't. Then I wanted to knock on their door and ask for some. I didn't. I just stood there hoping they would see me and come out. Lol.

Heehee. I am sure they would have been happy to oblige you, Terp.

(( insert six foot two sad puppy here))
Heehee

6 foot 3!! 4 with any footwear..lol

I will just end up making circles around that block with the dog until I can catch the owner. Lol. Plant stalking.

Paul---
You can always pretend your dog pooped in the bed--and then, baggie in hand, try to
scoop up some of the plants.......:o/

I am just kidding----I totally respect your honesty......Someone brung you up right.
G.

HAHA!!!

I have a sprig of variegated Solomons Seal that came in happy's little Ginkgo Craig hosta!!.

Paul, nice combo. With plants like that, I'm sure the home owners are outside quite a bit - keep doing the walk by, you're bound to run in to them. I like Gita's idea about the dog poop cover story lol. There is a street in down town Leesburg where the houses have lovely front gardens. It is one block over from King St (Rt 15 business), and I make the detour at least once a week just to take a peek. And Holly, I seem to recall seeing pictures several years ago of a lovely garden in Florida, and then laughing at your narrative about it being a yard that you and Ric had seen on your walks or a drive by or something. Didn't you start out just taking pictures from the street, and then before you knew it you were in the front yard, and then around to the back yard lol.

ssgardener - my favorite ferns are:

'Ghost' http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64825/ - very silvery and shimmery in the moonlight

Northern maidenhair http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/164/ - love the umbrella shape and delicate lacy look

Wow aspen, that Ghost fern is gorgeous! I'm realizing I have a thing for silver plants...

I think I may have some ghost. Not entire sure haven't cleaned that bed yet.
I have a little bit of the maidenhair too.

Ferns I grow are: Japanese Painted (in containers), Christmas, Lady and Lady in Red (both in ground and in containers), Autumn and most success with Ostrich which has colonized a 'rain garden' fed by my down spout. Did have to supplemental water last three droughty summers. May thread a soaker hose amongstthem if I get to it while there is still space!.

Judy, That combo of ostrich ferns and old fashioned bleeding hearts is my absolute favorite kind of gardening style. Love it.

I love that look!! There's only a small triangular area near my front porch that has enough shade to support what I have packed into it.

So. Aspenhill do you want an ostrich fern with Bleeding Heart babies or a Bleeding Heart with baby ostrich fern?

It's a good combination for me because as the ferns out tall the hearts, the hearts are looking at going dormant as hot weather ensues and I don't feel the need to keep them going or find something else to take their place. A sea of green ferns is cooling in the heat so, it suits me.

Have just gotten an Australian Tree Fern! Not sure I can find a good enough place or routine for it,

Judy--

Is there a particular reason you grow the Jap. Painted ferns in a container?
Do they die back for the winter in containers as well?

I have 2 of them, and the one by my Bird bath really struggles--as it is in my "YUK" bed and it is
also crowded in by 2 hellebores and another small fern.
I should dig it up and give it a nicer 'home'....What can you tell me?

Thanks, G.

donnerville- WHat is ( was ) your cat's name? You've told us but I forgot. I love the avatar picture and want to think of the sweetie by name.

Ooh, love that Ostrich fern and bleeding hearts combo!

Most everything in my yard is in a container because I am much more of a plant arranger/stager than gardener! If a plant will live in a container I can move it any where and still meet its individual needs. I can create combinations of plants to my hearts content that wouldn't do if they were actually planted. And, no root competition.Japanese painted fern

So, my Japanese painted ferns started out as spores and became little tiny ferns I discovered in some pots of baby trees I was given by one of the nurseries I have worked for. I plucked them out and planted them in some shallow 14 inch diameter pots I had sitting around and stuck the pots under one of my Japanese Maples. Cute. Fall came and all containers were nestled into their pile of shredded oak leaves for the winter. In spring along with the fern fronds there were also volunteer purple violets! Even cuter and not something I could have done without Nature's kind hand. They have lived there happily for 7 years now.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I will say that Japanese painted ferns are smaller ferns so take to container life better than say my ostrich ferns!

Thanks, Judy----

And to think--I just held a Workshop at HD on Container planting and all the benefits of it.....;o)
I have ALWAYS called container "Movable Landscapes"....
G.

I love it Gita! Movable Landscapes. Yep, that's my yardening approach for sure especially if you add in "for the Lazy Gardener"!
My whole yard is a great big container with Thrillers - Fillers - and Spillers with color and texture playing off each other.

I have always felt a bit 'shameful' about my own garden, calling it most recently my "Garden of Disarray".
Now that I have a better name for it I shall promote my methods and madness more boldly. "Moveable Landscapes" solves many a garden problem and surely for me is less work. I just use what I have, lots of pots, lots of invasives for fillers and spillers, shredded ok leaves to pull it all together and plants I acquire through rescue or swap or plant lust buying on a budget.

Thanks for 'getting it' Gita and others. I'm holding my gardening head up high today!

Coleup/Judy

As well you should!!! So much easier to move a container. Once the 'tropicals' come out it is even more impressive I imagine.

I have seen some really beautiful landscapes done completely in potted plants.

That is what the Philadelphia Flower Show does so well isn't it!

Yes!!!!

Please check out this link. It will introduce you to a former student who has written a book chronicling her battle with breast cancer at the age of 27 and her meeting with a Somali woman and her family on a train in Portland and her challenge of helping them navigate American life. Very poignant. I could hardly put it down. My heart ached and then was joyful. Many tears were shed as I read. The book is titled. the Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge

http://storylineblog.com/2013/04/26/love-our-neighbor/

Written by such a lovely young woman. Couldn't resist purchasing the book.

I'll watch for that in my library- another county has them but they are all checked out.

Awesome!!!

Glad to hear that Sally.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fr.php
Congratulations are in order for haighr