The native western sword fern, shown here surrounding the bird bath, can grow anywhere from 2 to 6 feet tall. It thrives in the moist, temperate climate of the Pacific Northwest and does well in a ...

Mention the word fern, and many gardeners will envision an indoor grotto filled with Boston and maidenhair fern. Or maybe a tropical forest full of wild ferns. But in their garden? Maybe a Western ...

Delicate as lace, or seemingly tough as leather, ferns can be found in climates ranging from rain forest to tundra. It's no wonder that they find their way to so many Pacific Northwest gardens.

It’s hard to walk through the woods in Whatcom County without seeing the sword fern, also known as the western sword fern. This big evergreen fern — it can grow about 4½ feet tall — has pointed leaves ...

IS THERE a more useful plant than evergreen ferns? They’re the stalwarts of the winter garden. Slugs are munching on the tiny iris that are just starting to bloom, and camellia blossoms brown out with ...

Cool green shade and trickling water or waterfalls cascading from verdant canyons often come to mind when we think of ferns. But ferns are ancient plants that have learned to adapt to a much wider ...

SANTA CRUZ >> Beneath California’s iconic towering redwoods, ferns carpet the forest floor. The Western sword fern is the most common plant in the coastal redwood forest, and it’s showing signs of ...

WHAT: Sword fern, Polystichum munitum, is one of our most useful native ferns and a staple in the Northwest garden. Sword fern is evergreen and forms a shapely, arching mound. WHY PLANT IT: It is ...

Q: Can you recommend some attractive ferns that will thrive in dry shade under conifers? A: Most of us think of ferns as moisture-loving plants, but once established, there are some great ones that ...