Ferns for a Cool Temperate Climate

Over the last twenty or so years garden ferns have greatly increased in popularity and a gardener's options have never been more exciting, but making the correct choice has perhaps become more difficult. Written for the gardener, enthusiast and horticulturalist, this book will reveal the fabulous range of form offered by ferns; show ways of displaying ferns in the smallest to the largest gardens; help in the selection process by giving guidance on tolerance of cold, soil acidity, drought, sun, wind etc. There are also suggestions where to acquire ferns, from the commonest to the rarest. An authoritative and highly illustrated A to Z section, listing over 500 different taxa, further helps with identification and selecting the ideal fern for any cool temperate garden.

About the Author :
Martin Rickard became interested in ferns whilst studying for his degree in Botany, before joining the British Pteridological Society in 1967 and serving as an officer in various capacities since the early 1970s. His fern nursery won Chelsea Flower Show Gold medals ten years in succession. He has written dozens of articles in national magazines and for the British Pteridological Society. More recently he has authored or co-authored several books on ferns.

Review :
One thing’s obvious – Rickard knows his ferns…if you want an up-to-date guide to the ever-increasing range of new and exciting ferns available today, and how to get the best out of them in the garden, this is the book for you. Martin Rickard’s new book on ferns will be the one-stop volume for those with an interest in these very attractive garden plants and if your gardening interests are only now leaning towards ferns, you will find no better book to guide you on your way as it caters for the beginner and the experienced grower alike. It has been more than 20 years since Martin Rickard wrote his last comprehensive guide on ferns for British gardens, and this book brings the position up to date. It covers everything from choosing to growing and propagating ferns, and finishes with a directory of 500 species and cultivars. Few authors are better placed to present this work than Martin Rickard…[he] offers ways to display and grow garden ferns to their best advantage, advises on successful means of propagation and includes notes on pest and diseases. For collectors, however, it is the directory of ferns and their origins that will hold the greatest appeal. This illustrated list is detailed and scientific, outlining attributes such as hardiness and growth habit. Written by Martin Rickard, whose fern nursery won 10 gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Ferns For a Cool Temperate Climate charts everything about these plants that date from the prehistoric age. The history of ferns and their cultivation, including their popularity in Victorian times, how to choose them, where to buy and how to use them in the garden are all covered in this wide-ranging book. It finishes with an A to Z of more than 500 ferns with illustrative photographs and information on how to grow each one. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a must-have for anyone with more than a passing interest in growing ferns, or indeed gardens and their history generally. Ferns for a Cool and Temperate Climate is a practical, accessible, beautiful and thoroughly modern contribution to the fern-growing literature. I may not have wanted a new fern book, but I sure needed this one!