F is for Ferns

I love ferns. When I was a little kid there was a shaded part of our property where the ferns seemed to grow as tall as I was. I always felt like I was getting lost in them and wound around the short path. There is something about the texture that is appealing to my fingers. I also just love the way the foliage looks.

My mom always had a Boston fern in the house. In later years she also started to grow asparagus ferns. I tend to get at least one of each every summer to hang on my front porch, which faces north.

My favorite ferns, though, are the Japanese ferns. Yes, it is because their leaves have a silvery purple tint and purple is my favorite color. They are just absolutely stunning, and I have several stuck in all around my house. Here is a photo of one from Spring 2009:

It's still too early in the season for there to by much in the way of my ferns in my garden. But when I was out hiking in the woods the other day, I noticed some ferns starting to perk up! Within a week or two, I would imagine they will be upright again.

Just seeing the foliage is reassuring that spring is indeed going to arrive to Upstate NY, even though we have more of that s-word in the forecast.....