Landscape/Garden Design

Slippertalk Orchid Forum

Help Support Slippertalk Orchid Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
what is the "ground cover"? are they all mini-hostas?
Hi Linus
It is a stoloniferous Hosta... H. 'Abiqua Ground Cover'. I took one clump and divided it up. Grew them in pots for the summer and then planted the 25 of them on that berm in the fall. Three years later the Hosta covered the area.
 
That is amazing!
I saw a few southern magnolias in Staten Island, NY and I thought that was quite remarkable...never imagined they could grow further north than NYC.
I have 4 southern magnolias(medium or small varieties) in my yard. A few years ago, an ice storm+wet snow broke off the top or branches, they all have recovered from the damages now.
If you look at the zones, the Cape of MA is not much different from Northern VA where I am. The proximity to the water affects the temps.
 
If you look at the zones, the Cape of MA is not much different from Northern VA where I am. The proximity to the water affects the temps.
southerbelle, I can't compare without knowing the exact locations. NY to MA is far away....Plants are very sensitive when it comes to the S/N limit. I moved 3 hours away from NJ to DE(Zone 6b to Zone 7b) and I know many of my plants here(DE) just can't grow/grow well in NJ zone 6b....or Vice versa.
Water does affect the temperatures, therefore there might be warmer spots in MA while the majority of MA is in a much colder zone, 5 or 6. The wind and snow affect the plant hardiness too...I don't know where in MA Phred was, so I am not speculating that ..., but I know there are some differences, weatherwise, between Staten Island and the Boston area even though both are near the ocean.
 
Last edited:
It is a stoloniferous Hosta... H. 'Abiqua Ground Cover'. I took one clump and divided it up. Grew them in pots for the summer and then planted the 25 of them on that berm in the fall. Three years later the Hosta covered the area.
I never heard about stoloniferous Hosta. It can be useful around my pond if it can take part-sun.
 
I never heard about stoloniferous Hosta. It can be useful around my pond if it can take part-sun.
Most Hosta can take more sun but you have to keep them watered. The Host in that photo were in full afternoon sun where/when they weren't shaded by shrubs.
 
southerbelle, I can't compare without knowing the exact locations. NY to MA is far away....Plants are very sensitive when it comes to the S/N limit. I moved 3 hours away from NJ to DE(Zone 6b to Zone 7b) and I know many of my plants here(DE) just can't grow/grow well in NJ zone 6b....or Vice versa.
Water does affect the temperatures, therefore there might be warmer spots in MA while the majority of MA is in a much colder zone, 5 or 6. The wind and snow affect the plant hardiness too...I don't know where in MA Phred was, so I am not speculating that ..., but I know there are some differences, weatherwise, between Staten Island and the Boston area even though both are near the ocean.
Tom, I believe he mentioned in his early comments that the garden was on the Cape. If you look at a USDA hardiness map, Cape Cod ranges from Zone 6B closest to the mainland to 7A farther out. What is considered Northern VA (north and west of DC and southwest to Fredericksburg) has exactly the same range. It was surprising to me when I first realized it, as well, but my sister-in-law lives in Sandwich at the beginning of the Cape and we lived due west of DC (west of Centreville) and the zone for both is 6B.
 
I was in Harwich... about half way out. Most winters the cold temps put me squarely in a zone 8 but about once or twice every third year it got colder.
 
Tom, I believe he mentioned in his early comments that the garden was on the Cape. If you look at a USDA hardiness map, Cape Cod ranges from Zone 6B closest to the mainland to 7A farther out...
Yes, he did and I totally missed it.
 
Phred, Thank you. Please feel free to amuse us with your other gardens when you have time.
 
This is the sidewalk garden. Lots of interesting plants in these two areas.

View attachment 25455

Phred, what is that fern in the middle, surrounded by three Hostas? A Japanese tassel fern? I think we do have "more" similar taste for plants in this part of the garden...I got a couple of ferns mounted on my driftwood aka "the log" too.
Thanks, Phred.
 
Last edited:
Phred, what is that fern in the middle, surrounded by three Hostas? A Japanese tassel fern? I think we do have "more" similar taste for plants in this part of the garden...I got a couple of ferns mounted on my driftwood aka "the log" too.
Thanks, Phred.
Hi Tom-DE
Good eye... it’s Polystichum polyblepharum – Tassel Fern. Ferns are one of my favorite plant groups. I had 125 different species/variety of fern in this garden. (The Garden Name was - Fernwood Gardens)
The fern on the log is Polypodium vulgare - Common Polypodium.
 
Last edited:
I am warming up with ferns also. Last year, I think I added at least two dozens of them(mostly species) to my gardens. The garden center I have visited frequently has a good supply of ferns but they don't have my next must-have fern yet, called the mossy soft shield fern(Polystichum setiferum "Plumosum Densum").

Epimedium is another favorite of mine.... and I am sure you might have some too. The really good/unusual Epiomedium species are a bit expensive (for me anyway). It is funny we are willing to pay many times more for an orchid but we complain about how expensive it is for garden plants...
 
Last edited:
I am warming up with ferns also. Last year, I think I added at least two dozens of them(mostly species) to my gardens. The garden center I have visited frequently has a good supply of ferns but they don't have my next must-have fern yet, called the mossy soft shield fern(Polystichum setiferum "Plumosum Densum").
I had several of the soft shield ferns. I thought ‘Plumosum Multilobum’ was the Mossy Soft Shield Fern... or at least it used to be.
Polystichum setiferum ‘Barfords Dwarf’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Bevis’ – Soft Needle Fern
Polystichum setiferum ‘Congestum Cristatum’ – Dwarf Crested Soft Shield Fern
Polystichum setiferum ‘Congestum’ - Dwarf Soft Shield Fern
Polystichum setiferum ‘Divisilobum Cristatum’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Divisilobum Mossy Mama’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Plumosum Bevis’- Soft Shield Fern
Polystichum setiferum ‘Plumosum Densum’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Plumosum Multilobum’ – Mossy Soft Shield Fern
Check out Far Reaches Farm... I used to get lots of ferns from a guy in Oregon but he’s long retired. You could try Fancy Fronds Nursery
https://www.fancyfrondsnursery.com/ferns/
 
Last edited:
I had several of the soft shield ferns. I thought ‘Plumosum Multilobum’ was the Mossy Soft Shield Fern... or at least it used to be.
Polystichum setiferum ‘Barfords Dwarf’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Bevis’ – Soft Needle Fern
Polystichum setiferum ‘Congestum Cristatum’ – Dwarf Crested Soft Shield Fern
Polystichum setiferum ‘Congestum’ - Dwarf Soft Shield Fern
Polystichum setiferum ‘Divisilobum Cristatum’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Divisilobum Mossy Mama’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Plumosum Bevis’- Soft Shield Fern
Polystichum setiferum ‘Plumosum Densum’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Plumosum Multilobum’ – Mossy Soft Shield Fern
Check out Far Reaches Farm... I used to get lots of ferns from a guy in Oregon but he’s long retired. You could try Fancy Fronds Nursery
https://www.fancyfrondsnursery.com/ferns/
I think moss fern has several clones. If memory doesn't fail me, I believe "Plumosum Densum" is the original one found in Scotland... I actually like "Plumosum Multilobum" better. Which one is your favorite?
Thank you for the source/recommendation. I will check on them.
 
Know about Sebright... will check on the other, Thanks.
 
I think moss fern has several clones. If memory doesn't fail me, I believe "Plumosum Densum" is the original one found in Scotland... I actually like "Plumosum Multilobum" better. Which one is your favorite?
Thank you for the source/recommendation. I will check on them.
Lol... I never met a fern I didnt love. The ‘Mossy Mama’ are cool because they produce little platelets on their fronds. Another great place to buy ferns and rare/unusual plants is in British Columbia Canada and they used to ship to me... Fraser’s Thimble Farms.
http://thimblefarms.com/
 

Latest posts

Back
Top