A ‘triumph’ of ferns
On planting woodland plants in a former parking lot.
It’s been a few weeks already since this happened and I still can’t believe it’s a true story: I planted ferns in my courtyard. Ferns! At my house. Along with a few other shade-loving woodland beauties. In order to appreciate the magnitude of this event, you have to really truly grasp that I started with literally nothing but grass and asphalt here. We’re talking as treeless, full-sun of a situation as it gets—
Woodland plants in place of the asphalt beneath these fully exposed, west-facing windows — just two years later? Unimaginable. And yet.
I mentioned before that ferns are my long-term goal for the tiny forest that I’m transforming the lawn into, but I hadn’t expected to be able to invite them into the garden this year. Once I planted the beloved serviceberry against the back wall of the house, though, I realized it created an opportunity for ferns in the courtyard. At least in this one spot.
This is a northwest-facing wall, so it’s in the shadow of the house in the morning and full blasting sun in the afternoon. (At least until the adjacent trees grow up.) But the serviceberry is already big enough to create shade between itself and the wall once the sun gets around to that side. The moment that fact sunk in, I took my fern wish list straight to my favorite native nursery, which had all of them to choose from — and then some.
I was so thrilled to be planting them that I started referring to the group as a “triumph” of ferns. Like a pride of lions, or a murder of crows. I think it could catch on!
Obviously they all have a lot of growing to do, but this is a future tapestry of lower-growing, evergreen marginal wood ferns (Dryopteris marginalis) with PA sedge (Carex pensylvanica), thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana) and a couple of spring ephemerals that are still hanging on — bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) and bellwort (Uvularia sessifolia). Among that are three bigger ferns — two Goldie’s woodferns (Dryopteris goldieana) and a Dixie woodfern (a hybrid of Goldie, or Goldy, that can take a little more sun) — which will be quite architectural when they get big. They could be anywhere from 4'-6' each, so possibly even too big, which would be a fine problem to have.
Tucked behind everything are soft-textured bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) and tall meadow rue (Thalictrum pubescens), which will eventually fill in behind the knees of the serviceberry, setting off its lovely legs, with the lower growers around its ankles in front. And I’m very excited by the idea of the evergreen ferns out there in the snow when the time comes, holding down the fort.
The best part, as noted in my serviceberry love letter, is this is the view from my favorite seat in the carporch. Where I can sit and watch the slowest show on earth. There will definitely be more and better photos as this magical little fern grove grows in.
