Friday 1 July 2011

Fern

I have a number of ferns in the garden, most of which originated at the caravan where they grew wild in the garden. Unfortunately, despite having a number of fern identification books, I have difficulty identifying them.


This fern which can be found half way up the ‘waterfall’ on my top pond (sounds grand but the waterfall is a pump-driven trickle and the pond about 6 square feet) has very leathery and shiny fronds and meets some of the description of Hard Shield Fern (Polystichum aculeatum) but the frond shape is wrong.




I would love to have a fern expert come and identify them for me though he would find the exercsie fairly unexciting as I'm sure they are all very common species..

8 comments:

  1. I imagine ferns are very difficult to identify! Gardens with ferns are so restful to my way of thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hadn't thought of it that way but restful is exactly what they are, EG Wow,

    ReplyDelete
  3. your ferns remind me of the country of my birth, Sarawak. I thought England is too cold for ferns.

    The most famous fern? The sliver fern, the national plant of New Zealand.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ann, we have many different ferns here - they obviously like all sorts of climates though I suspect ours are smaller than Sarawak's were.
    In the time of Queen Victoria - the late 19th century - there was a great craze here for collecting and pressing fern leaves and it was an acceotable occupation for middle and upper class ladies to show off their albums to each other (and to any passing male they could entice with them!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would not know a weed from a flower, but I know a good photo. Love the ferns, especially the last one.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Voww...nice pictures...never see such a beauty in ferns...salute to your photographic eye...congrads

    ReplyDelete
  7. I tried to grow a fern in my home and killed the poor thing. It looks like your first one. I have never seen one like the last.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Scriptor, I believe that many plants have merged with others to make a new unique category. We find so many slight differences from the ones we find pictured.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are always welcome.