Ferns and Hostas

I have only a few ferns at the moment, but I'd certainly like to add more. They add a prehistoric character to the garden which I love.

FERNS

• Athyrium ‘Red Beauty’ - this is a lovely Japanese painted type of fern with a significant amount of red on the silvery fronds.

Athyrium 'Red Beauty'

• Dryopteris felix-mas (Male Fern) - a tough, medium green fern. This one seems a bit more drought-tolerant than others, although it will still get crispy on occasion.

 

Dryopteris felix-mas (male fern) with Polygonatum odoratum (Solomon's Seal)

• Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern) - a very tall fern (4-5 feet), which will spread, perhaps annoyingly, if happy. So far not a problem in my garden! It is still rather small.

Ostrich ferns with bluebells, galium odoratum, hostas

• Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas Fern) - small dark green fern with stiff, upright habit.I love this fern - it is evergreen and always looks neat and tidy.

HOSTAS

For some reason I used to dislike hostas, and even vowed that my garden would have the distinction of lacking them entirely. But as my garden sensibilities mature, I have come to appreciate their large-textured foliage for shade. There were several unknown, not terribly interesting varieties growing on the property when we bought the house. I'm slowly getting rid of them and adding ones I like much better. Here is what I have added so far:

• Hosta 'Andrew' - smaller hosta, very dark green leaves with feathery white centers. A very unusual and striking hosta.

Hosta 'Andrew' unfurling in May

• Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ - very large blue-green hosta with enormous, thick-textured leaves. This hosta makes a great textural statement in the garden, and the color blends with most anything.

Hosta 'Blue Angel' in late May

• Hosta 'Brother Stefan' 
• Hosta 'Captain Kirk'
• Hosta 'Devil's Advocate' 
• Hosta 'Dream Queen'
• Hosta 'Great Expectations'
• Hosta ‘Sleeping Beauty’ - a small/medium hosta, thick corrugated blue leaves with creamy white edges. Leaves are elongated and pointy.

Hosta 'Sleeping Beauty'

• Hosta 'Tokudama aureonebulosa'

 Here are some of the NOID inherited hostas. They are all thin-leaved varieties very susceptible to slug damage, which I do not like. If anyone can help identify them, please let me know!

NOID hosta #1 - this one has cheery bright yellow leaves in spring, which quickly fade to a dull green

NOID hosta #2: mid-green leaves with yellow margins. Perhaps the best of the inherited hostas, this one remains relatively attractive throughout the summer.

NOID hosta #3: dark green with wavy white edges, smaller and very narrow leaves

NOID hosta #4: dark forest green leaves with vertical ridges, very long and narrow. In addition to slug damage, this ugliest of all hostas also gets brown and yellow spots in summer

NOID hosta #5: very large (but thin) leaves emerge bright yellow with green centers, fade over summer