Bring the Outdoors “In” With Easy to Grow Ferns

Wonderful ferns that cheer up empty spaces and help you during this time of “garden withdrawal”.

Winter is upon us! Lucky for you, Joe’s Market Basket can help bring the outdoors “in” with suggestions for wonderful ferns that cheer up empty spaces and help you during this time of “garden withdrawal”.

Create your special indoor Garden of Eden by adding an easy-to-maintain houseplant, offering just the right amount of light and moisture to make any room in your house your favorite. The following ferns, in our hardiness zone 6, may be just right for you and your indoor living spaces!

The American Maidenhair Fern is a beautiful plant, but requires consistent moisture. Don’t overdo it either. If you mist it often and mulch it to help retain the moisture, you’ll enjoy its lush, intricate leaves. Place it a few feet from a southern or eastern-facing window and turn it weekly for best results.

Want a fern that’s unique-looking and great for lower-light scenarios? A Bird’s Nest Fern may be perfect for your home. Why do they call it “Bird’s Nest”? Because the center of this plant looks a lot like a bird’s nest. Bird’s Nest Ferns are commonly displayed as container plants, but they can also be affixed to planks and hung on a wall, adding a truly distinctive look to your decor. Another benefit of a Bird’s Nest Fern is that it tolerates drier soil. The forgiving Bird’s Nest Fern makes caring for it easy! Less light, drier soil tolerance, and fertilization only two or three times each year may make this the perfect house plant for someone new to plant ownership.

Staghorn Ferns appeal to plant owners looking for a more “wild-looking” and non-traditional appearance in their houseplants. This plant has two distinct styles of leaves, with the most noteworthy set of leaves looking a bit like the horn on a rhinoceros! During the colder months, Staghorn Ferns can live comfortably indoors relying on low to medium light, rich soil, and moderate moisture. Staghorn Fern’s preferred care requires watering that allows the plant’s soil to dry out some in between. With some fertilization once each week, a Staghorn Fern will grow beautifully for decades to come.

Most ferns require higher levels of humidity to grow green and lush when living indoors. It’s also best to keep ferns away from radiators and overly bright and sunny windows. Pebble trays work well and helps keep moisture where the plant needs it most. Does your indoor fern still look a bit sluggish? Try bringing the fern into a regularly-used bathroom so it can benefit from the shower’s moisture.

Visit any of our Joe’s Market Basket locations to see our wide variety of indoor plants. We can offer additional indoor houseplant tips so you can decide what may work best for your specific living space. The experts at our Edwardsville, Godfrey, O’Fallon and Troy, Illinois locations are here to make your gardening and landscaping projects a breeze, no matter the weather. Give us a call today or find us online at www.joesmarketbasket.com.