Re: [SG] ferns

In a message dated 1/28/99 3:53:55 AM Eastern Standard Time, mtalt@CLARK.NET
writes:

<< easily found are deciduous.  Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is
 evergreen and a makes a very nice mound of foliage - tough as nails for me,
 tolerates dry woodland conditions, too; native to North America and Canada.
  If you're just starting out with ferns, this would be a good one to try;
 it's also pretty readily available. >>

Echoing Marge and Bill Shear this is the best!  Absolutely hardy and amazing
drought tolerance.  In zone 4 if the snow melts polystichum is there green and
cheerful.  It is a native fern in my woods and is transplanted to the garden
in many places preferring nearly complete shade.  It is grown by planting well
and leaving alone for years.  Left alone the clump grows to quite a good size
remaining however, a polite neighbor. The old foliage will look poor in the
spring for about a month. It is left on the plant to form a ring of self
supplied humus around the plant.  New foliage arrives in June here, the fern
is then great all summer.  Our soil is naturally low pH, you might check this
factor.

Claire Peplowski
East Nassau, NY
z4
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