A cautionary tale.
By dianebulley
7 comments
As some GoYs will be aware I wanted a Tree Fern to give some height in my Container Garden. Went to GC – they didnt have one. Wandered around feeling miserable, came home. Tenants in the downstairs flat have moved out. Left some children’s furniture outside for the Council to collect. I had walked by it twice without thinking about it. Then checked Tree Ferns on Wikipedia – which I should have done in the first place.
Seems they strongly dislike strong winds and exposure to very hot sun. Which sums up my garden !
Then I took the two children’s stools and a little table from the pile outside, up to my Container Garden. Rushed back to the GC to buy a Hardy Fern for £6.99.
Brought it home in triumph, put it into a larger black pot
which I stood on the little table against the fence. Then put the stools on either side, with a heavy pot containing Yellow Iris from a pond on one side, and another large pot containing Scabious on the other side.
This arrangement has improved my Container Garden considerably, even though we are approaching winter.
Must remember to do my homework in future, before going to the GC plant hunting !
6 Nov, 2011
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Comments
What a good idea, DB! There's a use for everything, as my mother used to say.
6 Nov, 2011
I have a tree fern waiting to be planted in a shady corner which only gets sunshine late afternoon, for an hour at this time of year (mid-spring here in NZ), when sun doesn't have a great deal of heat in it. We've had some quite strong winds in our area over the past few days, but the tree fern appears to be fine. It is standing next to a much taller cabbage tree (cordyline), which at this present time is around 2.5 metres tall, so that will be giving it a bit of shelter, I think. What a lovely idea to utilise the little table & chairs that way. As the saying goes ..... one person's rubbish, is another person's treasure. Last year I was driving to work & spotted two old, rather delapidated wooden children's chairs at the side of the road, with a sign saying they were free. I turned the car around & picked them up, & this summer my OH will do a bit of work on them & I will repaint them & they will be popped into my "doll-room" with an antique doll perched on each. Looking forward to a photo of your new container arrangement.
6 Nov, 2011
Diane you did well then, your container garden will be all the better with your new acquisitions...
6 Nov, 2011
good for you diane, i saw a dead tree fern in the arboretum the other day ~ i would love one but they cost so much and then it might not last!
7 Nov, 2011
Thank you everyone. The message is to read up about plants before going to the GC. Incidentally, those 'hairs' up a Tree Fern trunk are actually the roots.
7 Nov, 2011
Diane i wanted to see the finished article,been to your pictures but to know avail.so Diiiisapointed.I love ferns,which one is it.
14 Nov, 2011
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good for you tree ferns are quite dear so think you have done well with your hardy fern it should look great on its new table, i was looking for hardy ferns recently but not much is left up here.
6 Nov, 2011