~of ferns~

Linda's on-going and gorgeous garden project reminded me of something i wanted to talk about following one of my older posts

ferns

i adore ferns

ferns and fritillaries

i my garden i have lots of both, the fritillaries are left to sow their own seeds every year and the ferns checked to ensure they have lovely damp soil.

three of my established ferns were babies that came from my mums garden and they are just thriving along the side of the six foot fence that means they are always in shade.

but of course you must remember the ancient lore that surrounds the gorgeous fern

we have the receipt of fern-seed, we walk invisible

henry lV

the victorians were great fans of the fern and would build the most beautiful fern houses for them~in this country there are very few existing but one that was discovered and restored was at ascog hall on the isle of bute in scotland...one day i plan of driving pretty pagan all the way up there.

there are many images of victorian fernery's online where you can wander

the fern gatherer

c.s lidderdale

i can sit for ages in my nook and just gaze at them all growing happily in my garden, they bring visions of the fae conducting their almost invisible lives away from the sight of swampy and myself...