Peter Dowdall: How the fern can be used in many garden styles

Known as the Irish Fern or the Hart's Tongue Fern, Asplenium scolopendrium has long, glossy fronds and is commonly found in shady woodlands and damp areas throughout Ireland.

After a particularly “soft” few months and having spent some time during the summer in the countryside of County Kerry, next to the Atlantic, I am invigorated once more by our natural landscape and flora.

In particular, I am talking about the naturally occurring mosses and ferns in our stunning landscape. While shrubs and flowering perennials often take the spotlight in garden design, ferns offer a unique and enchanting allure. With their delicate fronds and lush green foliage, ferns are just captivating in their beauty.

Ferns encompass a vast array of species, each with its own unique characteristics and growing requirements. This versatility allows us gardeners to incorporate them into various garden styles, from traditional to contemporary.

There is often much debate about which plants are native and which aren’t and further discussion about the benefits of only planting native species. I’m not going to get into that here but these are some of the ferns which are either native or naturalized and are found growing wild in our countryside.

Known as the Irish fern or the Hart's tongue fern, Asplenium scolopendrium has long, glossy fronds and is commonly found in shady woodlands and damp areas throughout Ireland.

Other good choices for damp areas are the Lady Fern Athyrium filix-femina which is a tall, elegant fern with delicate, lacy fronds and the Male Fern Dryopteris filix-mas which is upright in habit and provides fronds of a dark green colour. These are all commonly found in woodlands, hedgerows, and wet areas throughout Ireland.

The dark green fronds of the Male Fern Dryopteris filix-mas are usually found in wet areas of the country.

Blechnum spicant is one that produces, tough, glossy fronds and is truly spectacular as is Dryopteris dilatata, the broad buckler fern will spread quite a bit and also reach a height of about 1 metre with soft, paler green fronds. Both the Blechnum and D dilatata will grow in damp soils but this isn’t a prerequisite and they will be happy in shaded and drier positions too.

The Killarney fern, Trichomanes speciosum is a bit special. It is thought that this fern landed in Ireland originally as spores from the Azores and Madeira, though others will say it is native. 

It is found in a few counties on the west coast of Ireland primarily in the South West. It was once abundant in Killarney from where it gets its common name but keep your eyes peeled and consider yourself blessed if you come across one for now, they are rare indeed.

According to the National Biodiversity Ireland website, “The Killarney Fern is generally a plant of almost permanently moist/humid, sheltered situations. Low light intensity is a typical feature of where it is found. Usually, a species of acidic rock faces, it does grow on trees once the light intensity, shelter and moisture conditions are met.”

When incorporating ferns into your garden, consider choosing native or naturalized species, as these will offer better support to local biodiversity and they will also be better suited to the climate and growing conditions in your area.

To badly juxtapose the fern into the words of the Rose of Tralee, it was not their beauty alone that won me, for beyond their aesthetic beauty, ferns offer several environmental benefits that contribute to the overall health and sustainability of garden ecosystems.

Firstly, ferns are excellent air purifiers, known for their ability to remove pollutants and improve air quality. Their extensive surface area and unique leaf structures allow them to efficiently absorb harmful gases and pollutants, making them ideal for urban gardens and areas with poor air quality.

Secondly, ferns are effective in soil erosion control. Their fibrous root systems help bind the soil and prevent erosion, particularly on slopes and embankments. By stabilizing the soil, ferns protect against run-off and maintain moisture levels, maintaining a soil where other plant species can thrive.

They also contribute to biodiversity and habitat creation, as many species provide shelter and nesting sites for small animals, birds, and insects. They also attract beneficial pollinating insects like butterflies and moths.

Most plants, provided you give them the right conditions, will thrive with little or no maintenance and ferns in particular tick that box, as close to a zero-maintenance plant as you can get. 

They generally prefer moist soil and partial to full shade, making them suitable for areas where other plants may struggle. Plant them in these conditions and sit back, relax and enjoy them maturing as, you will be glad to hear, they are relatively pest and disease-free.

They have enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in popularity as garden plants over the last number of years as we become more aware of their environmental benefits and we see them featuring at show gardens in places like Chelsea and Hampton Court.

Billy Alexander of Kells Bay Nurseries has done immense work at promoting the group of plants at Chelsea and Bloom over the last number of years with great success.

When I think of ferns and of where they grow naturally, in places like woodlands and on the banks of streams and lakes, I think of tranquillity and which of our gardens couldn’t do with some more of that?

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