Planning Ostrich Ferns In Deep Rear of Yard - Per Our Landscape Plan

Just five days ago, I posted for all to see my top 10 to-do items for our yard and garden in 2019.  There were some significant items on there like dealing with trees and adding another espalier, but item #10 talked about planning for the 'outer walking path'.  I posted about considering a path like that in August of last year and then also discussed the idea of what material is right:  decomposed granite.   That path would wind all the way to the back rear portion of our yard. 

And that's where this post comes in.  To get my head wrapped around some items in the yard this Spring, I pulled out the landscape plan and revisited parts of it. 

Our plan was drafted by our landscape designer and I've shared portions of it here on the blog.  Here's the links to the various snapshots:

• Our southern fence line with Hydrangeas and allium
• One of our rear foundation beds outside of our kitchen
• A look at the north fence line that we put the Frans Fontaine European Hornbeams
• How we would fill either side of our rear stoop
• With all the trees we have, here's a shade garden area featuring ferns and hostas underneath a mighty Oak tree that holds up our swing
• A look at the the front/northern boundary line (in front of the fence) where we're looking to screen from our neighbors.
• Where we added a tiny Hemlock (that ultimately died) in a section that the plan called for 7' tall/mature trees. 
• And this southwest corner of our lot that includes the idea of adding Hemlocks but also removing Buckthorn. 

It is that last one - the far southwest corner that is worth revisiting so you have some reference to this post.  The little snapshot of the plan I posted above is just north of that section.  In fact, in the original post, I talk about removing the Buckthorn.

In September of last year, I shared how I pulled out a couple of smaller Buckthorn trees, but didn't get to the largest one yet.  This year, I'm going to give it a shot.  Ideally, I'm going to cut it down and rip out the stump, but we'll see what the root structure looks like and hope for the best.

But, the other part of this portion of the landscape plan is the part in green:  ostrich ferns. 

I've posted dozens of times about Ostrich Ferns here on the blog.  You can find the full archive here.  But, their inclusion in our plan is no happy accident.  As part of fleshing out the details, we shared with the landscape designer what we like:  ferns, peonies, shade gardening and a lush, private setting. 

The backyard at Hornbeam Hill had some Ostrich Ferns that we inherited.  I called them 'survivor ferns'.  I moved some of them and left others.  I also harvested some ferns from a tear down on our block and put them in various places around our lot.  And then in June of last year, I grabbed a bunch of perennials out of Nat's sister's lot (she was tearing down a house, too) and planted them.  One of them was a happy fern - not an Ostrich - but a nice clump of a fern that I planted in the rear part of our yard.  Pretty close to where the ones in our plan are called for. 

The other thing that I wanted to mention here was the idea of a Yew hedge.  I posted about that idea here in early January as I was dreaming about something architecturally interesting. 

So, that gets me to the ferns called out in this plan.   Could this be a *moment* to alter course from the exact details of the plan and incorporate ALL OF THE ELEMENTS that I've been dreaming about in one place.

Check this out:

Imagine for this season, splitting some of our existing ostrich ferns and planting them in this area.  My experience tells me that Ostrich Ferns will reproduce and multiply on their own, so this area calls for 8 ferns, I can likely start with three or four and by next year or the year after, we'll get to eight!  Then, leaving space between the ferns and some newly planted yew hedges for the walking path.  The yews would start small, but if placed in the right spot, could lead to a nice view like this image.  Plant a tree or two that grow tall and narrow, coupled with the Weeping Cherry Tree and the Red Valley Sun Maple tiny tree we planted last year, we start to have a lush landscape plan emerge. 

This isn't *technically* in my top ten to-do's, but this feels like something I can do when I'm back out there puttering around and want to take action.  Let's mark it down.