"An outdoor fernery would be lovely..."
I hear it now, "A WHAT - ery?!"
Sure, sure, that's just fine with me. It's a fancy old-fashioned name for what would be called a native shade garden by today's standards.
I haven't completely lost it (no matter what Tim told you). We have plenty of native ferns anyway, a path and specific fernery area will eventually be carved out. The area selected is to the left as visitors come through the front gates at Black Pond Farm. The area actually extends a long distance, ending in a large fern-filled field at the very end. However, we'll start small, focusing on under 20% of the over-all area. Tim and I counted 6 native fern varieties already growing there among the fallen trees, huge moss covered stumps, and rocks. The impressive island-sized stumps will remain and strolling paths will be added. The area is a MESS right now and will require many, many hours. A chainsaw for the fallen logs, a shovel for the paths, lots of large rocks to move around...then the addition of more fern varieties can begin.
Although I don't know where to place it yet, I have my heart set on a "dollhouse" built by Tim entirely of stone. I envision it set atop a large flat stone, so a little girl can sit and play with the 3-story creation from all sides, imagining that fairies and pixies would slumber upon the leaves and flowers she tucked within the rooms. It makes me smile knowing it would be rediscovered by another child 80 years later while exploring the shady fernery...with thick moss growing on the aged stone roof.
Brenda's basic design elements:
- stumps covered in moss and ferns
- gravel paths lined in rocks
- raised beds (rock walls)
- a central focal point
- a fairy house made of stone
Leave it to those whacky Victorians...
Blame it on those whacky Victorians and their fern-crazed ways. In fact, there is a term for the Victorian fern craze. It was dubbed, "Pteridomania" by Charles Kingsley way back in 1855. The craze hit it's peak in the 1850s with many stunning examples of ferneries created all over the world. I did some research to find that estates all over Ireland and in Scotland from the era have Victorian ferneries. That caught my attention, because Tim and I have visited some of the places mentioned, yet I don't recall seeing a garden called a fernery.
The design basics vary surprisingly, some articles from the time state a rustic feel, some a romantic retreat from prying Victorian eyes, most have rock walls for the raised planting beds, some a water feature, grottos are mentioned and little bridges too. My favorite was a mossy "magical fairy land".
I have seen references to species of ferns numbering in the 600 to 900 range -- plenty to collect -- including ones that grow like trees! Some of the very rare specimens required a sunken fernery design, covered with fancy glass roofs. Some beautiful examples have been found in complete ruins and lovingly restored to their former glory. Our climate is optimal for ferns, and frankly, these are pretty over-the-top for 20-acres in rural Snohomish Washington! The rockwork looks like Tim's handy work...see the photos below!
The Dorrance H.
Hamilton Fernery - Pennslyvania 1899
www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/fern2.html
American Fern Society
http://amerfernsoc.org/
http://www.visuallink.net/fern/index.html
San Diego Fern Society
http://www.sdfern.com/sdfsprog.htm
http://www.sdfern.com/ferncare.htm
http://www.inetworld.net/sdfern/society.htm
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British Pteridological
Society
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/bps/
Dutch Fern Society
http://www.nederlandse-varenvereniging.nl/
Fern Society of Victoria,
Australia
http://gardenbed.com/clubs/clubs_vicferns.cfm
http://gardenbed.com/vicferns
Hardy Fern Foundation,
EUA
http://www.hardyferns.org/