Plant of the Week: Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum)

This week's pick is the Western Sword Fern. If you live here in western Oregon or anywhere along the northwestern shores of the continent, I'm sure you're familiar with this native fern. It's a common thing indeed, carpeting forest floors and shady roadsides. I've always loved it so when we moved here back in 1997, I made sure to bring along several clumps from our previous home which, conveniently was in a forest.

Those original ferns have grown and made lots of baby ferns and now I have more than I need or want but I'd rather have too many than not enough. I mean, who can kill a cute little baby fern like this?

Baby Sword fern.

Another one

These ferns love to assign themselves as under-story plants on the ground or in containers and on rocks and between pavers, basically anywhere that is moist and shady. 

These ferns anchored themselves right here with no help from me.

The one growing in this fern table I made a few years ago is almost too big now.

The one growing in this container with an Aucuba is happy too.

The one growing in this hanging basket is looking a little tattered.

The ones in my woodland area are a little too crowded.

The reason I chose the Western Sword Fern this week is because mid-March is the time to cut off the old growth fronds. I've found that removing them before the new ones unfurl is much easier than waiting and having to be super careful not to cut off the new growth.

These brown fronds are what happens when we don't cut them off.

If you look in the center of the fern, the new furry fronds are about to unfurl.

This fern has been cut back. The hidden fronds will unfurl any day now.

Can you see my clippers hiding in this pile?

Other than cutting back the old fronds, this fern has no other needs and is probably the most carefree plant you can grow. Planted in full to part shade, with moisture until established, there is nothing else to do except stand back and admire.

The fern in this pot is growing with a still-dormant hosta.

So much promise!

Total cuteness!

And while you're fussing over the more fussy plants in the garden, the Western Sword Fern will just sit there with its unobtrusive beauty, complementing its neighbors. 

This is what happens when we allow our ferns to do their willy-nilly procreating.

Are you growing the Western Sword Fern?

I Bought Myself a Present

It's not a new car or a spa vacation or anything nearly that elaborate. I bought this little guy.

He was at the grocery store and looked so cute with his little red bow so
I had to bring him home. I don't know his botanical name but that didn't stop me.
He'll get a bigger pot after the holidays so he can get bigger.

This moss on this rock is now thick enough to support a little native sword fern.

Here's another view of the pond from a few weeks ago.
It's now covered with Japanese maple leaves.

Last weekend, my garden buddy Carol and I went to a little country boutique called The Vintage Roost. Customers are required to park on the road and walk down the short gravel drive to the cottage. Along the way we saw this: 

And this:

Don't you love the rusty patina on the bedpost?

And that's all I have for this week. It's been super rainy and windy this week but last Saturday was a perfect day and I got all my bulbs planted. Yippee! Take care, peeps.

No Shadows!

It's been a long, hot summer and today, timed precisely with the beginning of autumn, the shadows that have been a normal part of my gardening experience for the last three months were on serious hiatus. Sunshine lay hidden behind an ashen cloud cover keeping the temperature in the comfy sixties. And with beloved rain predicted tomorrow, needless to say I got some serious gardening done!  

Look at Aster 'Alma Potschke' 

Through the years I've divided this Aster many times and now there are several
throughout my garden. I love the vibrant pink color. 

Nicotiana 'Tinkerbell' has reseeded in several areas. I love everything about this plant. 

Rosa 'Rhapsody in Blue' is blooming again. The fragrance is delicious. 

And speaking of fragrance, here is a blossom on my 'Frost Proof' Gardenia.
The plant has been blooming non-stop since early August.

This is 'Fireworks' Gomphrena. It's been blooming since I bought it. 

This photo of  Rosa 'Adelaide Hoodless' is a little over-exposed but I love these luscious red puffs. 

Earlier this spring, I bought two Calibrachoa or "Million Bells."
They're still going strong. 

Fry Road Nursery has several species Impatiens. I bought this one as a plug
back in May. It's about three feet tall now and in constant bloom. 

I've discovered that if I give my Dianthus a drink now and then they'll thank me with blooms. 

Ditto for Clemmies. This is C. 'Confetti.' It's blooming again! 

My over-wintered Melianthus has been growing slowly all season. 

The red blooms here are Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising'. It's been blooming non-stop since June. 

Fuchsia magellianica and Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lantern')

And just next to the aforementioned plant combo is this one.
Rosa 'Cinco de Mayo' and Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes Sumac'. 

Here is a look at my garden looking north. 

And here it is looking south. The creeping thyme I planted between the bricks (where the lawn used to be)
is filling in nicely. 

Maybe a little too well in some spots. 

I am so much happier without my lawns. The "north lawn" used to be here. 

One of my projects has been to relocate this sad looking clump of Darmera peltata. As a lover of wet feet, it was constantly pouting at being sentenced to the desert conditions under my Seven-Son's tree. 

So I dug it out and replaced it with a very large and very tolerant Pacific Northwest native sword fern. 

The fern will take a while to settle in but this area will be much easier to manage next summer, which I'm
predicting will be much cooler!