Fanciful Friday: Hillside Ferns

It’s been a while since I updated my hillside fern project, so I wanted to share it here for my Fanciful Friday post.

This year has been particularly unusual for my Fern Hillside project. Spring started in mid-February, allowing the ferns to begin growing early. It has also been very dry, with exceptionally hot summer months. The drought has become severe enough that our area implemented water conservation guidelines. I have tried to adhere to these guidelines by watering the ferns sparingly.

I didn’t plant any new ferns this year, but I did set out four accompanying plants, three of which unfortunately died. The soil on this hillside isn’t very good. I’m waiting and hoping the ferns will start propagating and spreading, but so far I haven’t had much luck. Most of what you see from this view is Wood Ferns and Holly Ferns. The Japanese Painted Ferns have already pretty much finished for the year.

I am patiently waiting and hoping that these ferns will begin to propagate and spread, but so far, I haven’t had any luck. In this view, you can mostly see Wood Ferns and Holly Ferns. The Japanese Painted Ferns have already finished for the year. I also lost two Boston Ferns, which are the ones you usually see everywhere in hanging baskets, but they don’t normally survive very well when transplanted.