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Fern Table refresh

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It's been over three years since I built my fern table, and while some things were thriving, others were not. I kinda felt like it was time for a refresh. This first photo (below) was taken on April 9th.

There was a small mossy log securing the back of the plantings, it fell off sometime over the winter and I could not get to it stay in place again no matter how many times I replaced it.

Then things got even worse. The photo below was taken on May 26th. The deer fern (Blechnum spicant aka Struthiopteris spicant) up and died, as did the Athyrium otophorum. Why? I have no idea. But it meant my "I really should refresh that" became a "Yikes! Must fix that eyesore ASAP!"

Just for fun here's what it looked like right after I planted it back in May of 2017 (blog post here)...

And here's what it looks like now. I went the route of just tucking in new things, rather than taking it all the way back to the base and starting over, mainly because I didn't want to disturb the saxifraga.

That Saxifraga 'Primuloides' (dangling groundcover) has multiplied crazy like since it was planted. That makes me very happy. The Thalictrum ichangense 'Evening Star' (upper right) has also done well, which interesting since everywhere else I've planted it was not successful.

So what new plants went in? The Pyrrosia lingua 'Ogon Nishiki' I bought at Secret Garden Growers last April was tucked in. As well as a pair of small Pyrrosia lingua 'Yabane Fu' I had on hand, and some Blechnum penna-marina from my friend Beth. I'd also scored a large Arthropodium candidum 'Maculatum' which I divided up and planted a few of here...

And others in the fern stock tank to the table's left, which also needed refreshing.

I didn't take "pre" photo of the tank, so everything you'll see here is after the fact.

Also from my visit to Secret Garden Growers, Pyrrosia polydactyla 'Taipingshan' found a spot right at the corner...

Any my fancy pyrrosia from Plant Delights also went in the tank. Here Pyrrosia lingua 'Hiryu'

Pyrrosia lingua 'Kei Kan'. To answer a question I received on the post where I fist talked about these two ferns, there is absolutely nothing I can see to tell them apart. I have to look at the photos I took with the tags to know which is which. This fact isn't really disappointing, as I love them both.

Here's one of the older ferns in the tank, a Pyrrosia lingua 'Eboshi'.

Another stalwart in the tank is Blechnum chilense, the Chilean hard fern. Here a new frond is unfurling in front of a planting of assorted bromeliads.

I've purchased two different variegated lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis 'Albostriata'. They look exactly the same when the foliage first emerges in the spring. But once the blooms are done the foliage fades to very different versions, the one on the left almost completely looses its stripes, where as the one on the right stays distinctive.

Can you make out that tiny thin thing above the less-striped convallaria leaf?

Here it is almost fully open, a frond of Coniogramme emeiensis 'Golden Zebra'. I love this plant, and all of the coniogramme I've bought (four different species now), but they don't do so well here in my garden. I think something finds them delicious and eats the fresh shoots before they can get going. Pyrrosia and Blechnum seem much tougher, less tasty.

So...that's a look at my refreshed fern stock tank...

And fern table...

The whole shady corner is looking great, and not nearly this oddly algae-tinted color in real-life either...

Weather Diary, June 10: Hi 79, Low 60/ Precip trace 

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

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