Category: Gardening

In a hedge in the garden or on a pot terrace, its black canes and fine foliage bring a touch of exoticism. Black bamboo ( Phyllostachys nigra ) is not very cautious and can therefore be grown in many regions.

Fast-growing, this medium-sized bamboo ( Phyllostachys nigra ) reaches 6 to 8 m in height in our climates. It’s fine, tight culms form a thick screen quite quickly. Olive green when it emerges from the ground, it gradually turns shiny black. Its fine foliage, of glossy dark green, very dense from the base to the top of the canes, persists in winter. Its rhizomes are not very invasive in heavy soils.

Technical sheet

Situation: rustic down to -20 ° C. The wind dries up the foliage from -10 ° C.
Exposure: sunny or slightly shaded and sheltered from strong winds.
Soil: ordinary, rich in organic matter.
Family: Poacea.

Planting

In isolated tuft or in the hedge, spacing the feet from 1.50 to 2 m, associated with other bamboos with colored canes. It supports cultivation in containers placed outside or on a veranda.

Interview

If it snows, shake off the heavy stubble. Wait until the end of summer or fall to install it in the ground, surrounding it with an anti-rhizome barrier. Straw the footwell to protect the roots from the cold. It multiplies by dividing its rhizomes at the end of winter. Bring water in dry weather in all seasons.

Variety

The variety ‘Boryana’ is even more astonishing than the others with its glaucous green culms speckled with brown like a panther skin. She is also much more vigorous.

In the undergrowth, in the massifs where they spread out their fronds but also in the rockeries, the crevices of low walls, pavements, on the edge of water features … ferns are so diverse that they can settle in all kinds of places. corners of the garden.

Culture sheet

Hardiness: up to -20 ° C and more
Exposure: shade, partial shade
Soil: preferably cool and without limestone
Height: 40 cm to 2 m
Use: undergrowth, clump, rockery, pot
Soil:  ordinary, lightened ‘a little peat

Varieties

Capillary

Adiantum pedatum
Height: 40 to 60 cm

The light green foliage of this fern contrasts with its dark brown stems; it turns nicely pink and orange in autumn. More than any other species, it needs to be cultivated in a sheltered place, without strong variations in temperature and humidity.

To cultivate at the foot of a wall, in the rockery, in the undergrowth.

Deer tongue

Asplenium scolopendrium
Height: 40 to 60 cm

Persistent, smooth, and entire fronds, glazed, elongated (60 cm long and 6 cm wide), light green in color. We often see them flourish in the interstices of old walls or old stairs, inside wells. To be sheltered from the wind, in rich soil, even limestone. Remove the old fronds in the spring.

– ‘Cristatum’: 30 to 40 cm, fronds with very curly edges.

– ‘Undulatum’: 40 to 50 cm, leaves with wavy edges.

Doradilla

Asplenium trichomanes
Height: 15 to 20 cm

This wild plant (it grows in stony and cool areas) forms small tufts with numerous and persistent fronds. The almost black rachis bring out the green leaves illuminated with bronze reflections. For shade or partial shade.

Female fern

Athyrium filix-femina
Height: 80 cm to 1 m

Deciduous, light green, indented foliage with a spreading habit. Prefers moist soils, but adapts to ordinary soil, provided it is rich and well-drained. Excellent ground cover.

– ‘Victoriae’: named in honor of the famous Queen of England, this fern with an upright habit is distinguished by the “v” formed by the pinnae at their end.Athyrium niponicum Metallicum
Height: 40 to 70 cm

This magnificent fern charms with its fronds of light gray-green, adorned with a central silver band and bronze or pink vein. In sheltered and shaded massif.Blechnum spicant
Height: 30 to 50 cm

This fern is distinguished by its foliage which presents two distinct aspects. It first forms a large cushion of narrow, leathery, and persistent fronds, dark green in color. Then, in the center of this tuft, appear in summer other erect fronds, of a bronze-green, with very fine pinnae. For shaded slopes, fresh rockeries, in limestone-free soil.Cyrtomium falcatum
Height: 50 to 60 cm

With their elongated and curved pinnae in the shape of a scythe, the erect but supple fronds of this fern of Japanese origin have a shape reminiscent of mahonia leaves. For limestone-free, shaded, rich, cool, but well-drained soils. This plant is little or not hardy: it can sometimes resist down to -7 ° C, provided it is protected by a thick litter of dry leaves, a wintering veil …

Male fern

Dryopteris filix-mas
Height: 1 to 1.20 m

Here is the fern of our undergrowth, with large and long dark green fronds, paler undersides, and rachis covered with brown down. This foliage, which turns yellow, is deciduous but can persist in a mild climate. Accepts almost any soil and resists drought well when set up.

– ‘Linearis polydactyla’: 70 cm, a real curiosity with these pinnules resembling needles.

Fern from Germany

Matteuccia struthiopteris
Height: 80 cm

The fronds of this species form a characteristic, very narrow funnel with erect tufts. It can form large colonies thanks to its runners. To be installed in rich, cool to humid soil, or even temporarily flooded.Onoclea Sensitis
Height: 60 to 80 cm

Tussock erected with deciduous, light green fronds, taking on beautiful coppery hues in the fall.

To be placed in the undergrowth or at the edge of water features. Indeed, this fern likes cool, humid, or even seriously flooded soils: it continues to grow even under 5 to 10 cm of water!

Royal fern

Osmunda regalis
Height: 1.20 m

Certainly the most vigorous of the ferns growing in the gardens! A superb erect tuft of deciduous light green to ash green fronds, with broad divisions. Magnificent bronze color in autumn. Here is the fern to install, isolated, at the water’s edge, both in the shade and in the sun.

Note: it tolerates temporary drought.

Culture

Ferns are easy to grow and require little care when set up. In general, they prefer cool but well-drained, rich, and acidic soils. However, many also adapt to ordinary soil if it is cool enough. Many species accept the dense shade. To multiply them, separate the suckers from the rhizomatous species. Sowing in a box, in spring, gives good results: to be tested.

Never direct sunlight, which burns the tender leaves of the ferns. Otherwise, they accept a fairly bright light as well as a shadow. Variegated forms are a little more demanding in terms of light.

A fairly cool temperature in winter (15-18 ° C) is perfect for these delicate plants.

Watering ferns

How to water them?

Ferns require generous watering so that the soil remains slightly moist at all times. However, avoid stagnant humidity, which can cause rots. During the beautiful season, add liquid fertilizer diluted by half every 15 days. Make sure to maintain high humidity around these plants, which mostly originate from tropical rainforests.

When to report them?

In the spring, when the clump has colonized the whole pot, in ordinary potting soil enriched with peat.

Immersion watering

Immerse the jar or suspension in a bowl of fresh, lukewarm water once a week. Also, make frequent sprays.

Trick

Group the ferns and create a humid atmosphere that will be beneficial to them: place the pots in a large peat tank to keep them slightly damp at all times.

Depolluting virtues

The Boston fern is a star of pollution control plants. It absorbs a large amount of xylene and formaldehyde every day. The bird’s nest fern also absorbs this volatile compound as well as ammonia. Large pots are, of course, more effective. And these two plants, as well as all the other ferns, when vaporized regularly, contribute noticeably and pleasantly to raise the humidity of overheated rooms.

Use

Ferns are essential for all shady places in gardens, for the waterfront, and for the base of walls facing north. They are used to garnish very dark areas where almost nothing grows. Combine them with other shade plants: rodgersia , liriope, hosta …
Note that bright bathrooms are rooms that are generally suitable for them if they are not too heated.

Fern diseases and parasites

The tips of the leaves or the edges turn brown and dry: to insufficient humidity. Increase the humidity of the air by frequent spraying on the foliage.

Be careful, scale insects can invade the underside of the large fronds of the deer horn fern. Dislodge them one by one.

The gardener’s advice

Always prefer soft water at room temperature to water the ferns. The most delicate, like the capillary, do not tolerate hard water. To soften the water, soak a bag of pure peat overnight in the watering can.

Regularly dust the large, fragile leaves of the bird’s nest fern with a damp cloth. Hold the slingshot from below with your other hand.

Small glossary for the use of ferns

Fronds: leaves of ferns.

Rhachis: central leaf vein.

Pinnules: leaflets of the fronds.

Flowering: ferns are not plants like the others, they do not have flowers and are propagated thanks to the spores gathered under the pinnules.

Native to the Japanese undergrowth, this beautiful grass with an unpronounceable name grows on very steep slopes. The hakonechloa first grows vertically, up to 50 cm in height, then cascades down to the ground. The deciduous leaves take on beautiful orange hues in autumn. Tracing, but slow to grow, it will take several years to form a beautiful clump.

Technical sheet

Type of plant: grass
Dimensions: 50 cm
Exposure: shade
Soil:   fresh and rich

Cultivation conditions

• Install the Hakonechloa macra in soil that does not dry out in summer.
• It is essential to leave it space and to limit competition from other plants so as not to hamper its growth.
• In pots, cultivate this poaceae in fertile soil.
• Plant the variegated forms in the shade, as they are susceptible to sun scorch.

Maintenance and other care

• Clean the stump in the spring and add compost to the base.
• Water or bathe the foliage in high heat.

Use

Use: in beds, isolated, hotpot.

• Hakonechloa ‘Aureola’, pale yellow with green stripes
• Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’ is totally yellow 
• Hakonechloa ‘Albolineata’ or Hakonechloa ‘Variegata’ are streaked with white.

This sparkling Chinese reed stays graceful in all seasons. Compact and slowly growing, it will squeeze into a cramped garden.

With erect foliage marked with wide creamy yellow stripes across the width of the leaves, this miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Bar’ grows into a straight, stubble bush. It resembles the variety ‘Strictus’ with a lower development, not exceeding 1 m in height. At the end of summer, its ears bloom, erect in fine shiny feathers, first tinged with pinkish beige, then burgundy red or purple. There is no risk that the garden will be invaded by its rhizomes: they spread slowly.

Technical sheet

Latin name: Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Bar’
Location: thrives in all regions. Withstands cold down to – 20 ° C approximately, without protection.
Exposure: bright and well ventilated.
Soil: deep, rich, cool but well-drained soil is ideal; however, this miscanthus also adapts to poor soil. It fears stagnant humidity in winter.

Where to install it

In a zen garden with bamboo and gravel; on a terrace between wooden or stone slabs; in an autumn massif with white asters.

Interview

Plant miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Bar’ in late April – early May, in groups of 3 to 5 feet, adding gravel if the soil is very wet. Do not pick all the plumes for your dry bouquets; in winter, they are magnificently powdered with frost. 
Cut the stubble a few centimeters above the ground in March, never before.

Ornamental millet is a fast-growing grass, spectacular in many ways. Its foliage, which resembles that of corn, ranges from lime green to deep purple depending on the variety and the chosen exposure. Millet can reach a height of five feet in a short time if the conditions are right. The stems iridescent in the sun are adorned with very decorative dark ears, which, if not cut, will be a delicacy for birds in winter.

The difficulty of planting ornamental millet

Easy.

When to plant ornamental millet?

Spring.

Preparing to plant ornamental millet

Choose a plant that has not yet flowered so that it can develop perfectly. A plant that already has spikes will not grow when planted. The same goes for the root system, which should not be too developed: avoid plants whose roots come out of the pot.

Ground preparation :

• Clean the ground of its weeds.
• Dig deep and add chippings or coarse sand to drain the soil.
• Add potting soil and compost in poor soil.

Exposure

Sun or partial shade

Ground

Fresh, acidic, fertile.

Distance between 2 ornamental millets plants

From 30 cm to 1 m depending on the variety.

How to plant ornamental millet?

Ornamental millet will take on more intense and deeper colors in full sun. Exposure to partial shade is also tolerated.
Choose a well-sheltered location because the Millet needs heat to grow: below 16 °, it stops growing.

• Gently deposit the plant.
• Dig a planting hole in the previously prepared soil, deep and wide enough to contain the entire root ball.
• Install the plant there.
• Fill vacant spaces with soil.
• The collar must be flush with the ground.
• Firm lightly around the foot.
• Spread out a bed of compost and make a bowl to retain the irrigation water.

After planting ornamental millet

• Water at the base of the plant, filling the bowl well.

Millet appreciates fresh soil, watering should be regular and constant throughout the cultivation period.

• Add nettle manure to fortify the plant every two weeks. Renew the layer of compost every month.

Ornamental millet is an annual plant that disappears naturally once its vegetative cycle has been completed.

Each year, just at the start of the vegetation, cut back the grasses more or less severely. Complete this operation with a good supply of fertilizer.

Cut back the small grasses about ten centimeters from the ground and the larger ones to about 20 cm. Use the shears vigorously to slice thick stems. Then peel the inside of the tuft with gloved fingers, as the leaves can be sharp. Remove dead or damaged twigs from winter moisture. Clear the waste on a pile before pruning the next grass.

Cut into a rounded shape

Prune your grasses by giving them a rounded shape, more aesthetic and natural than a square. When the cutting job is done, rake the surface of the bed and collect all the stems and leaves for composting. For faster decomposition, cut them into small pieces with the shears or a grinder . You can also use them as a mulch at the foot of shrubs.

Loosen and fertilize

Loosen the soil all around the tufts of grasses to a depth of 10 cm. Then fertilize by favoring an organic contribution (a chemical fertilizer boost would promote the growth of weeds). Count three to four handfuls of ripe compost per large grass and half for the small ones. Spread it around the periphery of each plant and iron the claw to bury it lightly in the soil.

Evergreen foliage to have a touch of greenery all year round in the garden.

With their decorative, varied, graphic foliage, the evergreen ferns enliven the garden, adorn the feet of shrubs, and serve as a setting for hellebores and early bulbs. Most prefer shade and partial shade, cool, moist soil. But some love the sun and grow in low walls, between two stones, where there is little earth. Magnificent when they bend under the frost, they stand up proudly, green and thick, at the slightest warmth.

Dryopteris erythrosora

Coppery, almost pink, the spring fronds of Dryopteris erythrosora take on a dark green hue in summer, to last until the end of winter. In March and April, when the young shoots burst, this 50 cm tall fern is spectacular. Install it in partial shade, in moist, cool soil, and combine it with blue flowering bulbs: blanda anemones, Siberian scilles, Spanish hyacinths …

Phyllitis scolopendrium

Very original, Phyllitis scolopendrium ‘Cristatum’ grows in long, entire fronds, with a crest on the edges and a notch at the end. This variety looks like a curly, wavy, light green, shiny salad. This fern measures 25 to 40 cm in height, likes shade and partial shade as well as cool soil. It will prove useful for planting in stony soils, even limestone, which it tolerates without worry.

Cyrtomium falcatum

With its erect, dark green, serrated fronds in broad elongated divisions, Cyrtomium falcatum stands at 60 cm and spreads over 1 m. This fern likes shade, cool, drained soils rich in humus, without limestone, but does not tolerate cold below – 10 ° C. It is also cultivated in pots, to be placed in a protected place.
Cut the leathery fronds: these leaves that look like broad blades work wonders in bouquets.

Strong and light, installed for very long years,  miscanthus remains decorative until the dead of winter. This “Chinese reed” has leaves marked with a very characteristic white central vein, which turns red in autumn. At the end of summer, the flowers in spikes peak at 1.20 and up to 3 m in height depending on the variety.

Technical sheet

Type of plant: grass (poaceae)
Exposure: sun
Soil: rich and fresh

Cultivation conditions

Miscanthus shows a preference for cool soils, even heavy ones. It needs heat and sun to flower. North of the Loire, choose early flowering varieties.

Maintenance and other care

Cut back the foliage to 15 cm from the ground in early spring, not before! Divide regularly in the spring.

Use

Use: isolated, bouquets

Species and varieties

• ‘Silberfeder’, 2.50 m, white flowers then golden, even without sun;
• ‘Goldefer’, 2 m, silvery flowers, foliage striped pale yellow;
• ‘Purpurascens’, 1.50 m, flowers pink, then silver;
• M. nepalensis, 1.20 m, golden, not very rustic.