Continuing on in the theme of subjects you all have asked me about...I give you Christmas ferns! I believe it was Erin, maybe, that asked me about these prolific native ferns. I have always adored the look and feel of fern glades and so to have land so imbued with them is very enjoyable. If you enlarge the photos you can see a little better just how thickly they grow here. I have about 5 or 6 species of ferns but the Christmas ferns are by far the most populous. Several of these "clumps" grow fairly close to the house also, so I don't have to look far to enjoy them.
I thought this article HERE, on the ferns was well done and interesting. I do often use the fronds for decorations and additions to Christmas wreaths but I'm wondering if they are going to make it that far this year. We are already having lows in the 20's at night so they may go to sleep before Christmas this year. Or not.
I tried to get a real good close-up of the shape of the little leaves but I had let it get too late in the afternoon for taking photos like that. These ferns, of course, like shady areas and it was overcast to boot so the lighting was fading fast. There are so many of these ferns here I have even thought of potting up some to sell at the farmer's market. But, that's a chore for days much farther in the future when I have fewer, more pressing projects and hopefully more energy for such.
If I can ever get the landscaping started behind the house and some flower beds going, these ferns will be featured heavily. I love to go up in the woods and just sit amongst them. They emit a very peaceful and ancient air.
7 comments:
I just love the looks of them. My Grandma had really nice ferns that looked a lot like these on the north side of her house. They caught my eye because no one else had them in their yards that I knew of. Northwest Iowa.
Love ferns! Your last two sentences evoke a commonality we shared when I had my farm in Talladega. And on such a day as you captured in your wonderful photographs.
My ferns are not nearly as dense or robust as yours, but I even have them in the Ozarks.
Hey Erin! I think one map I saw showed these native all the way up to Iowa. And yeah, not many people use native ferns as plantings (usually potted) but I love them.
Hey Ken! oh yeah. Ferns are lovely creatures. They seem so timeless.
Hey Pablo! Yes, one other article said they were very prolific in Missouri and east. I'm not sure why they like this hollar so much but glad they do.
Once I fix up the outside of this house to my desire, I plan on scouting the woods a bit for vegetation to landscape with including transplanting some more hardwood trees to replace the ones I have lost the last few years.
Hey Ed! yeah, that's a good idea. You can save a lot of money doing that. Fortunately I have a variety of plants and trees here to use like that.
As we road around for a last look at my beloved mountains this fall the ferns were a bright red. I tried to get in close but I wasn't driving and as always there never seems to be a place you can pull off the road.
Woods to me are the most peaceful place to be.
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