Lois de Vries' Garden Views

While deer will eat just about anything in late winter and early spring when there are few other foods left, they pretty much ignore ferns. If portions of your garden are in partial or full shade, these four ferns can add a lush woodland, or even tropical, look to your space with little upkeep. In contemporary and classical-style landscapes, clumps of ferns can be planted in pairs, in ground or in pots, for a more formal look. These four ferns will also thrive in sun, provided they are kept sufficiently moist. All ferns prefer a somewhat acidic soil.    Dixie Wood Fern. This fern is a natural hybrid of two native ferns (Log Fern and the Southern Wood fern) and is hardy in Zones 5 –9. Its main advantages in the garden are its height and tolerance of dry shade and more sun than most ferns. Because it grows 4 - 6 feet tall on sturdy stems, it creates a nice background for shorter ferns and shade-loving flowers, or a vertical accent in a perennial border. Japanes