Winter Greenery: Fern Foliage

We’re feeling comfortable with our winter tulip forcing operation and we’re capable now of growing more tulips than we need, so I’ve been working on adding some foliage to our program that we can build into our tulip bunches to add interest.

Having some different textures will also allow us to make some vase arrangements that feel more substantial.

With inspiration from houseplants, I started growing a collection of ferns a couple years ago, with an eye toward varieties that can grow longer fronds.

I started dividing the Boston ferns, and now there is a carpet of them below some tables in the basement. I added foxtail ferns, Japanese holly ferns, and some other interesting varieties from Fancy Fronds. And soon, we’ll bring some of the Autumn Brilliance, Christmas, and Cinnamon ferns that we planted outside, into containers for growing inside.

Ferns are not fast growing plants, but they can grow well with little attention and do not attract pests or disease. We can allow them to bulk up during the warm months when we don’t need them, cut from them during the winter, and divide them in the early spring to begin the cycle again. The indoor grow space (basement) prevents them from getting too warm/too much sun. Like many plants, harvesting from ferns encourages them to produce new/more growth.