Love your bathtub! Would you believe I had one hauled off a couple of years ago? I must be a moron.
Everything looks so green in your pictures! Because of our very hot and dry (although humid!) summers here, I can't plant as much as I would like. Watering is just too time-consuming and unpleasant (insects), so I am switching to more plants that bloom in spring and go dormant for summer (or are drought-tolerant). Still, my ferns will get watered!!!
Maybe we should discuss drought-tolerant ferns?
Ferns that Don't Spread
I found that one at the City tip, they used to separate some things to sell but stopped, I got it for £10. It's a shame, there were some treasures! It was green, it's painted with a stone chip paint then matt black cellulose paint. Most has come off the inside but it gives it a 'shabby chic' look.
My water barrels have run dry, a few days over the 20C mark and I want rain! Great for getting things done though.
I think Athyrium felix-femina copes fairly well with dryness, but your dryness is probably different. Humidity does help.
Oh Wallaby, I love the COOLNESS of the picture of your bog. I just came in from getting the paper and already the humidity and heat is building. It's a race against time to try and get some cuttings potted before I'm back into the A/C.
I think that's why I love my ferns so much. Even when I'm hot and tired, just looking at them in their little shade garden is very cooling. I have round containers of white Caladiums set in there which add to the effect.
Toxie, is there such a thing as a drought-tolerant fern? That's a very interesting idea. We are in a little wedge shaped area right on the coast that gets less rain than FL usually has, and watering for containers is an ongoing problem. For this reason I'm using Hibiscus and Bogainvillae for year round color and cutting down on many of my other plants. Coleus and Begonias are still a passion though.
Pati
Pati, it appears that Holly ferns and Leatherleaf are supposed to be somewhat drought tolerant for your area, according to one of my garden references. I wish we could grow leatherleaf here, it is great for bouquets.
Toxie, I have a Leatherleaf that has jumped in size this year. Love the way it has that round bouquet look. My big Holly went with one of the hurricanes and I haven't replaced it. Why can't you grow Leatherleaf?
Pati
Some like it hot, some like it cold, do we ever get enough of either?
I found a site with a chart which may be useful. My ferns do well under the tree in a raised bed around the trunk, fine tree roots grow up into it and they do take a lot of dryness in the shade. In 2004 we had 2 months of quite hot weather, up to 33.7C, no rain. I did water with a hose but not a lot.
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1176.htm
Yuccado have a list of drought tolerant rare plants, ferns included
http://www.yuccado.com/browse.htm
A good descriptive list
http://www.foliagegardens.com/cat1.html
list of drought tolerant plants, dropteris included
http://www.acwd.org/wc_garden_plant_desc.php5
Polystichum munitum drought tolerant
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehoss/landscp.html
All of those links will keep me busy for a while. Thank you.
Pati, I can't grow leatherleaf because it gets too cold here. Guess I could try it, though...I have had lots of zone 8 plants surviving the last few years.
Wallaby, that was quite a list of links you gave us. Some good ones in there, thanks.
Toxi
You're both welcome!