A Stable Fern

As I drove down the woodsy driveway and approached the Rocking Chair front porch, I knew this was going to be our house! This Southern gal was finally going to have a porch with rocking chairs, a swing and hanging Ferns! Ah, the relaxed feeling of a Fern while sitting on the porch.

I found out quickly that four hanging Ferns on the front porch were not relaxing but instead trouble. I was sweeping up the fallen mess each and every day that entire first season in the house. With 2.5 acres of land to tend, I did not have time for such nonsense!

The second year, I went with a different approach. Spider Plants which grew so long they touched the porch floor by the end of the season. To this day I still get baby Spider Plants in the planter below from the dropped sprigs!

I enjoyed the neatness of the Spider Plants but truly missed my Ferns. So as always, I must make a compromise. I call these moments Plan B and they do seem to happen more often then not!

We had a bad storm which left us with two damaged trees. We realized they had to come down. So the Saint and I got out the chainsaw and went to work. The Saint wanted to cut them to the top of the soil but I had a better idea. I had him leave them tall enough to become a stand for Ferns. I always say everything happens for a reason and I think Mother Nature was giving me back my Ferns!


The Ferns led to other ideas such as a fire pit.

I enjoyed the Ferns for a while but then the squirrels started knocking them off and the hurricanes and tropical storms started hitting the southern coastal areas. We live far enough away from major damage but do experience the high winds and heavy rainfalls. The wind was constantly blowing the Ferns off the stumps and onto the ground. At times damaging my beautiful Ferns.

My mom gave me the perfect solution. She said to cut the wire hanger at the top only removing the hook portion. Then to hammer nails into the stumps, then pull the three wires down to the sides of the pots and wrap around the nails on the stumps thus securing the ferns in place! How simple is that? Duh, cannot believe I had not thought of that one myself! I think those were her words to me!

That is a simple solution except for one little problem, I have not found Ferns with wire in some time as they seem to have plastic hangers! Ah, another solution but takes a bit more work. Remove the entire plastic hanger and replace with floral wire! I went a step better this year and found spools of twist tie wire. I found two spools for $1.00 at Dollar Tree! What a bargain...


Once I secure the Fern to the stump, the foliage covers up the wire and cannot be seen to the eye!

I also put the Ferns into plastic plates to hold the water therefore, I don't have to water them as often. I spray mist them occasionally but don't really do much to them and they flourish on the stumps in the shade.











Everyone always compliments my beautiful Ferns and look at how large last years Fern became! I am a complete Southern gal again with my Ferns!

Now if I can only figure out how to keep the squirrels from chewing on the plastic trays. Always a squirrel issue in this yard but a Stable Fern they nor the wind can knock over!


NOTE:
Remember the Ressurection Fern I showed you during the Masters Series? Well here is an example of it during the dormant state! This is the sprig in our backyard. It is attached to the tree and we have not had a good rainfall in a while so it appears to be dead. It will ressurect back to life with a little rainfall or if I water it.



I have two sprigs of the fern beside one another.

One piece is attached to the tree while the other has rooted into the ground. The ground still has moisture in it thus, that sprig is fully lush and looks alive! The other sprig only looks dead but I assure you, it too is fully alive!

A Strange but interesting Fern...