A couple of years ago I planted a selection of ferns along side the hostas, they appear to be doing well. I’m now awaiting the arrival of some shuttlecock ferns, which I hope are going to be here later this week.
Slugs are getting at my hostas, even the blue thick leave textured ones, that slugs aren’t supposed to like.
I love plants with large leaves, one of the reasons I grow hostas, not for their flowers.
The first photo shows a hosta called Mammoth against my hand. This plant grows under the shade of a Rowen tree.
The second photo shows hostas and shade loving grass planted against the north side of a pergola.
The hosta to the front left of the grass is Mammoth whose leaves are only a quarter of the size of that in the previous photo. The hostas to the right are Blue Canadian.
Are you in UK, if so how do your tree ferns cope with the hot weather we’ve been having these past few years? Do you keep having to mist them?
You do not need a licence for an air rifle. Just saying…
I dream about that. Squirrels are just rats with fluffy tails
Only the grey ones,
Fully agree - we support a charity in Lake District that looks after the cute red ones (definitely not rats)
I’m in the uk and have to keep an eye on them in dry weather and ensure they remain damp.
I grow them in a north facing border and they are sheltered from the direct sun by a traditional hedge and the neighbour’s trees.
The biggest problem in the uk is a severe winter.
Thank you. I would like at least to try one but my wife feels that they would restrict our holidays, having to give them constant attention.
I’ve seen a few YouTube videos i.e. George’s Jungle garden and he has to spray his every day in hot weather.
I really do like ferns and those would be icing on the cake. Cost is expensive though it’s about £100+ per foot of fern.
I do have the perfect spot for them.
Regards D
LOL Thank you. I did suggest to Mrs D that I probably could fix some type of automatic mister up but she’s not having it.
Mine have never needed that degree of attention but as I said they are in a shaded northern border. If the trunk looks dry I give it a good splash with the hose and around the base as they produce quite a bit of root.
Is that a Rhododendron?
This is mine; planted out last summer and it’s looking very happy
I want it to bulk out into a small plot by the front door, i know they can grow quite big but don’t know how long it takes.
Hi Debs, It is, been there about thirty-five years. Depending on the variety they can be very slow growing, check the variety online. Over the years the label has degraded, but it is a number of dwarfs we planted all those years ago.
The silly thing is that I can remember going to the fab nursery. We were meant to go to France for the day but there were issues and a strike was called. We turned around and stupidly decided to visit Reuthe’s on our way home, and my god what a place, what a haven for rhododendrons. I asked for a yellow and the guy apologised for being really hungover and dug up that one. Well, it isn’t yellow, but I got Hotei as well, which is beautiful,
Besty wishes.
Backyard is starting to get overwhelmed by late spring acer growth.
Pruning decisions for the future - in the meantime, I will enjoy.
The third photo, does Dryopteridaceae marginalis ring a bell?
The second photo fern on the left, what about Pneumatopteris pennigera - Lime Fern, the one on the right Paropolystichum microsorum - Creeping Sheild Fern.
I’m not saying they are, I’m no expert but do an internet search on those names and I’m sure you’ll get some pictures to compare.
Yesterday evening my Shuttlecock ferns-Matteuccia struthiopteris- were delivered got them in the ground today. Apparently, they grow to 1 metre tall, perhaps I don’t need treeferns. 
In the second photo what’s the large leaf plant top right?
The large leaf plant is an arum lily.
Thanks for the info regarding the ferns.
