A Wondrous Sight

I’ve always loved ferns.

Growing up in Gunnedah, Australia, both my grandmothers had them growing in pots on the front and/or back verandahs of their homes. Nanna Smith had them in hanging pots, I remember. And I particularly liked the look of the “fishbone ferns” that Nanna Sparkes had in her little house on the Naomi River flood plain.

It’s been hit and miss for me in terms of growing ferns of my own. They usually start well but then quickly decline and die. Currently, I have two established potted ferns that are doing really well, and have been for some time. So that’s good!

About two weeks ago, while walking through my neighborhood in the cool of the evening, I came across some garden cuttings on the sidewalk. They had clearly been placed there for anyone to take. I claimed two rather wilted ferns.

Back home in my attic abode, I potted and watered them, but they soon started to wither away. I cut them back to soil level, hoping for new growth. I’m happy to say that over the last few days, new growth is exactly what I’ve been witnessing, as spring-green colored fronds have been reaching upwards and unfurling more and more each day.

It’s a wondrous sight to behold!

Related Off-site Links:
How to Grow and Care For Ferns – Gretchen Heber (Gardner’s Path, February 17, 2019).
Tips for Growing Fern Plants – Marie Iannotti (The Spruce, July 7, 2020).
Growing Ferns Indoors – Heather Rhoades (Gardening Know How, September 9, 2020).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Photo of the Day – May 23, 2021
• Photo of the Day – May 14, 2020
• Photo of the Day – May 27, 2010
• Afternoon

Images: Michael J. Bayly.