Mom's Fern Garden

y mother loved ferns.  On a hot day just looking at them made her feel cool.  But on the bank facing the water we had only one native clump that, unfortunately, never spread.  It was her dream to plant them all along the steps in the hope they would bush out and create a “fern garden.”  For some reason, she never got around to putting her plan in action.   

Since her passing, it’s been my goal to implement as many of her unfulfilled projects as possible.  Six years ago I bought 20 of the hardy male variety and planted them in autumn.  The next spring not one came up.  I had to dig up all the corpses and take them back to the store for replacements.  This next batch brought me a bit more luck. Over half sprouted, grew and took hold.  Since then, each spring I replace the ones that didn’t survive the winter.   

It’s taken a while but Mom’s fern garden has finally come to fruition.

  

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