Christmas Fern is a wonderful addition to any shady woodland garden. This fern is evergreen; the fronds from the previous season come through the winter and then new fronds form and the old fronds die back. This keeps the fronds tidy throughout the year. It adds interest to the garden as the new spring fronds appear. If you wish, you can cut the old ones off when they turn brown for a neater appearance. 

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Greentopia Festival 

 Genesee Country Village and Museum
Agricultural Society Fair &  19th c. Magic and Mystery Weekend
1410 Flint Hill Road, Mumford, New York 14511
Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 1-2 10am to 5PM

We take flat river rocks that are 3 - 7 inches in diameter or long. We wash them and leave them in the sun to dry. We then take black sharpie makers and write the name we want on the rock. You can use common name, botanical name, or both; whatever you wish. We then take a silver sharpie and outline the black. You can then spray with a clear sealer. This will help the writing stay fresh for longer. Untreated, it generally last a couple of years depending on the location. We have had so many people comment on what a great idea this is, so I thought I should pass it along.

Some native perennials produce seed that will germinate when planted. They just need adequate soil moisture and the proper soil temperature. There are others, such as Trillium, Blue Cohosh, and Bloodroot that need to go through periods of warm and moist and/or cold and moist periods in order to germinate. This process of providing a cold period is called stratification. 

Most spring ephemerals seed need stratification to germinate. The best way to provide this is to sow the seed where you want it to grow as soon as the seed is ripe. This is usually in May or June. At Amanda's Garden we sow these seeds in flats. We label them and leave them out for the remainder of the growing season and through the winter. Some seeds will germinate the following spring; others take 1 to 3 years to germinate.

Seed that is produced in the fall such as Asters, Goldenrod, and Joe Pye Weed can be held dry. Just harvest from the plant, put in a paper envelope, and label it. The best way to store seed is to put these envelopes in a glass jar in a cool dry place. We plant these seeds in February and leave out for the remainder of the winter.

William Cullina's  book Growing and Propagating wildflowers will give you specific instructions and is well worth the price. Propagating Native plants from seed requires patience but is very rewarding.