English Gardener and Writer Frances Perry and her Thoughts on Ferns

Fern Frond

“Sure enough, there was a baby fern growing inside. The spores can survive in their millions until conditions for growth are right.” April 21, 1985 On this day, the garden writer Frances Perry shared a charming article in her regular gardening column in The Observer about how to grow a fern spore. She wrote: My father-in-law,…

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Remembering Fern Specialist and Botanist Warren “Herb” Wagner, Jr.

Deer in Winter

“Deer in the winter are nature’s closest thing to actual zombies.” January 8, 2000 Today is the anniversary of the death of a leading botanist in the study of ferns, Warren “Herb” Wagner, Jr. Herb was the founder of modern systematics for plants and animals. Biologists still use “Wagner trees” to classify plants and animals…

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How to Know the Ferns by Frances Theodora Parsons

How to Know the Ferns by Frances Theodora Parsons

As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: How to Know the Ferns by Frances Theodora Parsons Frances Parsons was an American naturalist and author. She is best remembered for her book on American Wildflowers, but this book is a favorite of mine. One of the reasons I’m a huge Parsons fan is because of her…

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