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Re: [SG] Planting Companions / Ferns

>         While discussing the tassel form of ferns why not go on to the crested
> forms? There are a lot of both crested and tassel ferns on the market now
> and the number seems to keep increasing over the past few years. probably
> has to do with tissue culture and the gaining popularity of ferns in
> general. Crested essentially means each tip of a frond is forked. Quite
> unusual in appearance with the normal fronds and then the little
> curley-cues on the tips. Some appear to almost be frothy.
>         I liked photos of them I saw a few years back and have been working on
> getting a few into my garden. Got lucky and found a couple grown by a
> friend to carry in the nursery this year. Check them out.
>
> > d
> >
> > "Polystichum polyblepharum TASSEL FERN (Evergreen, Z6, Japan):  Stiff
> > glossy fronds (to 2-3') w/ a silvery-green reverse and
> parallelogram-shaped
> > pinnules, so numerous as to be overlapping; new fronds emerge then drop
> > backwards to form "tassels' before righting.  Shade/Medium moisture"
> >
> > I grow mine close to the house, since I can't always rely on plants
> listed
> > as Z6 to be hardy up here.  Also, mine is only about a foot and a half
> tall
> > after three years, so I probably am not giving it optimum conditions.
> The
> > color on the front of the fronds is a shiny grass-green.

The Polystichum species ferns are my favorites.  Many are evergreen, most grow
rather quickly into sizable clumps, and their textures vary from high lacquered
gloss to fluffy and soft.  My absolute favorites are P. polyblepharum and P.
braunii, both shiny forms.We stock them in the nursery, (unfortunately, we did not
list them in the catalog) for use on landscape jobs --In shade gardens, I find
that they work as a "subshrub", due to their evergreen presence.

John Mickel's (sp?) book on ferns shows many Polystichums, some are easy to find,
others are hard to come by-- and I've never met one I didn't like -- would gladly
collect any and all.

Rika        Willow Pond Nursery        http://www.willowpondnursery.com
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