GARDENING THOUGHTS TURN TO COOLER PLANTS

After the parched month of July, it is hoped that August will give relief from the hot, humid, dry weather of the past five weeks. Gardening thoughts at this time turn to cooler, easier plants to grow, so ferns have been selected for the subject.

"Where the corsewood is the greenest,

Where the fountains glisten sheenest,

Where the lady-fern grows the strongest,

Where the morning dew lies longest.

Hie to haunts right seldom seen,

Lovely, lonesome, cool and green."

-Sir Walter Scott

If ferns suffer from the heat, they do not show it whether inside or outdoors. They seem to roll with whatever punches nature deals them. They grow in pots as well as in the ground. They come in many varieties and many shades of green, and many will survive outside in the winter. They have been known to survive the hottest, driest summers and the coldest winters.

Specimens of ferns were collected by botanist as early as 1628. When a plant died, it could only be replaced by another living plant. Circumstances did not change for about 165 years, when a surgeon in Jamaica had some success in raising ferns from spores.

Captain Bligh, of "Bounty" fame, took 37 specimens from the West Indies to England as interest was growing in unraveling the secrets of fern reproduction. However, it was not until 1851, that this was completely accomplished and recorded.

Before that time very few people thought of ferns as being the least bit attractive, but by 1839 the "Victorian Fern Craze" was in full force.

If you were very wealthy, you had a Wardian Case of the most elaborate proportions and shapes, which would cost as much as two pounds. You purchased rare ferns to house in your "fern case" and conspicuously displayed it as a status symbol in your parlor.

If you were of more modest means, you too may have been touched by the craze, but the native ferns you yourself collected stood under the bell glasses or were planted in large pharmaceutical jars, the tops of which were sealed, and this was the forerunner of what was later referred to as a terrarium.

For growing hardy ferns outside, their natural habitat in the woods should be matched as near as possible. Areas where hardy ferns are found is usually partial shade and soil that is rich in organic material. Soil that holds the moisture well, is porous, allowing air to reach the fibrous roots, is best.

Among ferns that can be used for the garden are lady fern, ostrich fern, cinnamon fern, interrupted fern, royal fern and Christmas fern. The maidenhair ones here came from our daughter's in-laws in Ohio and from a friend who lives near Oriole. In 20 years they have really established themselves on the north side of the house, and with all the moisture this spring they truly flourished, some growing to a height of 20 inches or more.

While mature foliage of most hardy ferns is limited to variations of green, the Japanese painted fern is a delightful colorful departure. The fronds are wine red with a central band of gray on green. The gift of a gardening friend, Millie Strom, it grows among the large Boston ferns. New shoots unfold throughout the summer.

With their delicate, airy fronds and varied tones of green, ferns can bring to your window garden the same tranquil atmosphere found along paths, banks of flowing streams and on boulders in the woods.

One of the most intriguing is the rabbit's foot fern. Its furry "rabbit's feet" tangle around the pot inside and out. From these casual fronds a new plant can be formed by simply breaking off a "foot" and repotting.

An old-time favorite, prevalent in many New England homes some 50 years old, are still lovely today. The one growing on our carport (also the gift of a friend) may be well over 75 years old and has never been repotted.

The staghorn fern is possibly the most unusual indoor one. It grows on a piece of bark or a square of cypress wood. Given plenty of water, and light, smooth fronds emergy at the cneter of the "shield", and new plants develop next to the parent and can be separated.

Other easily grown ferns are holly fern, fishtail fern, sword fern, bird's nest fern, baby tears, lace fern, just to mention a few.

In the heat of August, green foliage of ferns add much to the landscape of the garden.