If your garden is protected from the sun, then why not build yourself a mini fern rainforest?
Reminiscent of rainforests, earthy smells and the prehistoric world, ferns have both a calming and otherworldly effect.
When placed in the garden, ferns are mostly low-maintenance, absolutely beautiful to look at and can live longer than you do. They add great texture and rich tones of green to the damp and shady parts of your yard, creating a space that is lush and luxurious.
But with so many choices out there, where do you begin?
How to grow ferns in your garden
Ferns need part to full shade and rich, earthy soil that hails back to their rainforest origin. This means soil that is well drained and rich in nutrients from leaf matter will be ideal. Protection from the afternoon sun is definitely needed, and if in warmer parts of Australia, protection from all sun may be required.
Almost all ferns are perennial plants, meaning during spring or autumn, you can divide and further populate your shady garden corners.
The different types of ferns
All fern plants are vascular plants, meaning that they grow from spores rather than seeds or flowers. While there are the many fern plants that grow straight from the ground, like bird nest ferns and autumn fern, there are also ferns that grow from rocks or straight from trees.
Ferns that attach themselves to rocks are called lithophytes, while ferns that attach themselves to trees are called epiphytes. Similar to soil-growing ferns, these plants get their nutrients from decaying leaf matter and animal droppings that are caught in their leaves.
Epiphytic ferns are actually great at growing on fences and man-made structures as well as trees, making them great for planting in the garden.
8 plants for your fern garden
Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi)
If your garden is full of shade and protected from the sun, then you can go all out and plant larger fern species, like the Australian tree fern. With a large canopy and elegant single trunk, this fern is an ideal choice if you love the rainforest, and want to bring a bit of the Daintree into your backyard.
It can grow to between 5 and 10 metres tall, so make sure you’ve got lots of space for the fronds to spread out!
Staghorn fern (Platycerium superbum)
The staghorn fern is a retro throwback, but it’s definitely not gone out of style. As an Epiphytic fern, it is able to grab onto trees, fences or even your home’s outside wall.
If you need to cover anything unsightly, or add in more texture to your fence line, then this fern is for you!
Birds nest fern (Asplenium nidus)
The birds nest fern has apple-green shiny leaves that can reach up to 1-2 metres in height. Great for planting in pots or even in the fork of a tree if you wish to maintain that rainforest look.
Birds nest ferns are also known to make great indoor plants, provided that you keep them out of the suns path and in well-draining soil.
Elkhorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum)
In the same family as the staghorn fern, the elkhorn fern is very similar in both looks and growing style. Stick it on a tree or hang it on a wall, and you’ve got yourself a prehistoric, otherworldly plant to admire in your garden.
This one is very low-maintenance as well once established, only needing lots of shade and the occasional compost for nutrients.
Soft tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica)
Native to eastern Australia, the soft tree fern or man fern is feathery and soft. Fronds of bright green create a beautiful canopy, which can grow up to 15 metres tall. If you’ve got a large empty space in the shade, this fern tree is perfect for you garden.
Better yet, once fully established, the trunk of this fern is ideal for growing epiphytes like the elkhorn fern, or even Australian native orchids.
Hen and chicken fern (Asplenium bulbiferum)
The hen and chicken fern, also known as mother spleenwort, is a fern native to New Zealand. With feathery foliage that weighs down and creates a cascade of green, this fern stays lush and fresh-looking year round.
This fern can be grown in part-shade, but should be protected from direct sunlight. Think about how beautiful this would look in the dappled shade of your garden!
Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)
If there’s a bit too much green amongst your ferns, then adding in an autumn fern may be a great idea. These triangular, arching fronds will start out pinkish, turn coppery and once fully matured turn a bright green.
This mix of autumnal oranges and beautiful greens are the perfect way to add in contrast and visual interest to your garden.
Baby’s tears ground cover (Soleirolia soleirolii)
Finally, a rainforest garden is never complete without a carpet of mulch, dead leaves and a cute groundcover. Although this one has quite a melancholy name, baby’s tears are a great groundcover for shady areas of the garden.
It can be grown in pots and along pavers as well!
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