Tuesday 28 April 2009

Maidenhair Fern




Some people put themselves through all sorts of cultivational contortions to grow a maidenhair fern. Hours are spent pondering the optimum position for light, spraying mist around to maximise humidity...
Not me. It grows wild down the side passage of my house. Nice ground cover. As in smother-cover for the weeds which would otherwise flourish. Mind you, weeds are only plants which you've decided you don't want - there. If anything were calculated to drive me nuts because of its insidious little rhizomes it would be oxalis. In England, my friends look upon it as a fine garden plant.

Sally's green thumb tip for the busy blogger: If it requires anything more than a few weeds being pulled out every few months, or a light prune to prevent it taking over the house, it's not for me. In my garden, you're on your own. This means roses long since bit the dust (black spot in Sydney's humid summers), and some years the camellias look a bit pathetic, but hey, there's always next year to look forward to. Thanks to water restrictions, it's years since I watered anything (other than dumping the odd bucket of grey water outside)...I can't be bothered trying to remember which days and between what hours you can water...and it must be two and a half decades since any plant was welcome inside. Despite all this cruel neglect, my small garden flourishes in Sydney's benign climate. Lucky plants!

2 comments:

  1. hahaha Sally! That's Ozzie spirit.!Love your thoughts. Some things to ponder on. In this time of unholy crisis, who wants to waste water? Yes, they are lucky plants. God minds them too under all weather, extreme, mild or kind. Thanks for the cat poetry comment.

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  2. I'm so with you on this, Sally. Same here. If it doesn't live and flourish, tant pis. I don't replant the same thing. Survival of the fittest. Having said that I never had any success with maidenhair fern and I do love it.

    I just had a plain ol plumbago die on me. got several but this one was the bluest. No matter. Onwards.

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