Several years ago, Janie Cleveland brought me a number of native ferns that she dug from her mother’s property. They have become some of my favorite plants.

The foliage dies back each winter, and new growth appears each spring. All I ever do for the fern is to cut back the dead foliage after the first frost, apply a bit of a complete fertilizer in late winter and provide some water during the summer, and the ferns thrive and multiply.

The ferns grow in an offset planting bed beside our front porch, under the shade of a tall tulip poplar tree. In the beginning, I watered the ferns often, after planting them with the root system at ground level. However, they do well now with an occasional watering. They require very little care and multiply rapidly, providing beauty in their textured, airy, delicate-looking fronds. The plants return year after year, with little cost or effort from me.

Janie did not tell me the name of these ferns, but they resemble the A. felix femina, which is a native fern that grows in this area. These plants grow normally in the wild, in the dappled shade of a forest, and they adapt well in the garden in rich, textured, well-drained soil.

Each year, we apply a layer of mulch around the root systems of the ferns, which helps to keep the roots cool and moist, and discourages weeds.

Several years ago, I planted a couple of holly ferns and they did well under the shade of the woodland on the right side of the house. Recently, however, we had that area cleared of several pines that were leaning toward the garage, and during the process, the holly ferns were destroyed by the heavy equipment.

Carol (Bonnie) Link is an Etowah County Master Gardener and an experienced garden writer. Her weekly column is designed to help and encourage others in their gardening endeavors. Send questions or comments to clink43@bellsouth.net.