Ferns of the Miller Garden

We were gathered for a tour—of the garden’s many ferns—led by Emily Joseph, Nursery Manager for the Hardy Fern Foundation (on the far left below), and Del Brummet, Head Gardener at the Miller (middle below). Also in the photo are Richie Steffen, Executive Director of the Miller Garden (white shirt) and Bonnie Berk, President of the HFF (on the far right, in the baseball cap).Del had compiled a list that hit the highlights of the garden’s collection. If we’d stopped to talk about every fern we’d have been there all day (not that I’d have had any issue with that)..
On the patio alone there were so many pyrrosia! 
 Aspidotis densa, dense lace fern (in the trough, up against the rocks).
Bommeria hispida, a favorite fern of mine, and just about everyone who sees it.
Another trough, with an exuberant planting, and of course more ferns.
Fern tables!
Here Del is pointing out Woodwardia fimbriata, known by the common name giant chain fern.
I don’t think these were on the list, but I believe they’re Polypodium glycyrrhiza, Licorice fern.When people hear me talk excitedly about ferns, and then give me a “really? why?” look I think this (or something like it) is what they’re picturing. But there are so many different kinds of ferns! Not that there’s anything wrong with this one, Polystichum munitum x Polystichum andersonii…
Polystichum setiferum ‘Bevis’
The Miller Garden is the first place I saw this fern, Blechnum (Parablechnum) novae-zelandiae—I instantly fell in love. I finally added it to my garden last year and somehow the population has now exploded to six of them!
This visit was my first sighting of the fertile fronds. Wow…
Here Del is showing of a frond of Woodwardia unigemmata, the jeweled chain fern.
The Miller Garden was also the first place I saw (and drooled over) this fern, I now have several of these too.
Adiantum x tracyi (middle)
Dryopteris erythrosora, the autumn fern
So called for the rich tones of the new fronds.
Athyrium ‘Ursula’s Dwarf’, South Carolina plantswoman, Ursula Syre-Herz discovered this dwarf hybrid of Japanese painted fern and Southern lady fern in her garden.
Part of our group tip-toeing through the moss…
We learned there were ferns planted here at one time (I don’t recall which species), but they disappeared and the moss took over.
Blechnum  hastatum, upper left.
Anisocampium cuspidatum, which we learned happily grows in a great deal of sun.
Those are Anisocampium cuspidatum fronds in the middle/right of this photo.
Not on our list, but must be admired (again), Dicksonia antarctica, the soft tree fern, Tasmanian tree fern.
Woodwardia unigemmata ‘Undulata’
Polystichum setiferum ‘Plumosum Densum’ (I think, not on our list, but too beautiful to ignore).
Dryopteris namegatae, completely new to me.
Close-ups…

Blechnum (Parablechnum) montanum

When we stopped at the nursery section of the garden Emily gave a short fern propagation talk.
She had a couple really nice Anisocampium cuspidatum to show off, but my eyes were drawn to that big beauty on the right…
Blechnum palmiforme, aka Lomariocycas palmiformis.
It’s so hot!
They have little spore babies growing on at the garden.
Blechnum chilense, Chilean hard fern.
There are a few notable ferns in this photo…
This adorable little guy is Asplenium ceterach.
And the upright fronts to the right of the green mound are Cheilanthes tomentosa.

So fuzzy!
I’ll wrap up this fern report with another image of Blechnum palmiforme, aka Lomariocycas palmiformis…it kind of makes me think of a shaggy cycad.