Is your garden starting to look boring and even a bit cliche? Let me help you change that.
When people think about landscaping with plants, they usually think of flowers. Very few people consider the versatility and richness of ferns. These lush plants come in various shades of green and they grow where other plants wouldn’t.
I’ve found these 23 original fern landscaping ideas that’ll make your garden look and feel brand new!
Contents
Planted In A Pot
Recycle And Revive
Image credit: hometalk.com
Why let a vintage thing gather dust? Repurpose a bi-fold door and turn it into the perfect pot for your fern. But don’t just remodel one, why not do a pair?
Finish these novel pots with a dark coat of paint that’ll protect the wood and contrast with the bright green of the ferns. They’ll bring out the best sides of one another and totally revive the entrance to your house. See more of fern landscaping ideas at hometalk.com.
A Makeover With Planters
Image credit: providenthomedesign.com
Give your porch a makeover with these wooden planters. They’re so welcoming as they stand on both sides of the front door, brimming with ferns interspersed with flowers.
Ferns like the shady and moist soil that some flowers favor, too. They’ll both thrive happily in the planter and cheer up the whole entrance.
This simple decoration will give your porch a new look, instantly. It would cost a small fortune to buy the planters from a retailer, but you don’t need to do that. Just take a quick look at an easy way to make them at providenthomedesign.com.
Spilling Out Of An Urn
Image credit: omglifestyle.com
Urns easily become centerpieces wherever you place them. There’s something riveting in their flowing curves and intricate patterns. Fill them with flowers and ferns and let the fronds spill from the sides.
Urns aren’t the only containers that catch the eye, you can plant your ferns in many similarly innovative containers, look at omglifestyle.com — they know a thing or two about this.
Flowing Out Of A Fountain
Who said that you have to use an object in its usual way? Good design is all about the unusual usage of usual objects.
Ferns love moist places and they’ll grow all around the base area of a fountain, giving it a lush covering. This fountain is a total winner when it comes to innovation. Your guests will see it and ask, “How did you come up with this idea?”
Hanging Garden Fern
Focus On Beauty
Hanging planters give a point of interest in the middle of any space and they will constantly catch your eye, whenever you pass by.
Ferns aren’t picky plants and being out in the open air doesn’t bother them at all. You don’t have to give them a lot of attention to get them lush and green and they look perfect hanging on a porch, balcony, or by the backyard entrance.
Country Club Chic
A landscape that looks this elegant doesn’t mean you need to break the bank or get professional assistance to put it together. With just a bit of budget landscaping for your backyard, you could really turn it around.
Simple ideas can leave a big impression and this chic wall is just a metal frame, some stones, and ferns leaning out of some hanging pots. If the weather is humid or rainy, you will hardly need to attend to these ferns at all.
Did you know that ferns are ancient plants? They know how to survive.
Spruce Up The Shade
You can spruce up the upper part of any room with some nice lighting or hanging planters. You can also do both!
A backyard patio isn’t complete until you scatter a few plants in strategic places. Top that off with a few ferns suspended close to the ceiling and you have a unique arrangement.
Lush Walls Of Fern
A Green Backdrop
Contrasting textures and colors transform any space into a vibrant scene. This fern wall is the ultimate contrast with the surrounding white walls.
The potted plants on the adjacent fence and on the front table all work together to make this design one of my absolute favorites. If you’d like more winter garden designs on your porch or how to use fern for winter holiday decor, check this post.
Vertical Fern Gardens
Ferns come in many shapes, colors, and textures. There’s no limit to the designs you can create with different types of ferns plus a few other materials, like wood, metal, or stone.
A vertical wall at the entrance of a residential or commercial space makes for a high impact, decorative statement. It’s pleasing to the eye and refreshing to walk by.
Free-Form Fern
Untamed gardens are simply charming! Ferns aren’t plants that fit the “manicured” look, they grow in natural patterns that add a lot of energy in the place.
This broad wall is also low maintenance, so it’ll probably stay in all of its green glory for a long time.
A Side-Wall Garden
Tight spaces and lack of sunshine shouldn’t keep you from growing your dream garden. All you need is a few types of ferns and a wall to spare.
Gardening can really help the environment, even if it’s a tiny wall. Ferns grow quickly and, in no time, a bare wall will become so colorful and vibrant!
A Plant Cocktail
Ferns aren’t the only plants that favor shady spots, there is a wide array of shade plants that can sit side by side with ferns in a vertical garden.
Use this idea to create a varied garden in your front yard. If you can throw in a few chairs and a side table, you’ll have a stylish veranda like no other.
Green Carpets
A Backyard Mini-Forest
Mosses and ferns cover the ground between the trees in forests — it’s what they naturally do. Help them do the same in your garden, especially where the sun is scarce and grass struggles to grow.
Walking around your garden will feel like an all-new experience!
Tropical Tastes
Ferns have a temperament close to that of tropical plants — they’re both exotic and they don’t mind the humidity. Designs inspired by an exotic jungle can easily be implemented in your backyard with ferns. BTW, thanks to the tropical look and hardiness, ferns made our list of best tropical plants for zone 7. Read it here
Fill In The Blanks With Ferns
Empty spaces in your flower beds aren’t a flattering look and it’s best to fill them with a neutral plant that’ll complement the colors of your blooming flowers.
Ferns are perfect for the job, especially in the beds next to walls, where the sun is only an occasional visitor.
A Soft Lining
Image credit: usacryptocoins.com
The hard edge between a wall and a walkway could be softened, simply by letting ferns grow in the area between the two hard surfaces.
Your backyard scene can become more mellow with little things like this. More of these ideas are available at usacryptocoins.com.
Marking The Way
Give character to your walkway by planting ferns in strategic locations. Add interest every step of the way with the scattered, brightly colored plants.
Use stones as edging and bring out the full richness of this vibrant plant.
Stairway Fern
Banister Plants
Garden stairs is a lovely idea when you have a banister made of ferns. Use the kind that spread quickly and grow tall.
Intersperse them with a few shade plants and you’ll be able to step up and down surrounded by a dense garden.
Stepping Up
Up your gardening game a bit with a bit of planning and design. Imagine what you want your garden to look like, do a little research, and then make your dream fern landscaping ideas come true.
Going Down
Image credit: jellysundae.tumblr.com
A stream of water falling down a stepped pathway is a slice of heaven. The sound it makes and the fragrance of the sprayed water as it touches the plants is magical.
Ferns love growing beside water, so they’ll be very happy in this kind of arrangement. Keep the charm going with jellysundae.tumblr.com.
Flaunting Foxtail Fern
Spilling From An Urn
Urns and gardens go beautifully together, but the urn needs to be filled by a plant that’ll flatter its shape and color. Can you think of a better arrangement than this?
Beside The Bunnies
Image credit: dengarden.com
Add a cute scene in your garden by interspersing plants, like these fluffy foxtail ferns, with small animal sculptures. I bet you’ll smile every time you pass by this little scene!
Dengarden.com seems to share our opinion on this, don’t you think?
Behind The Fence
Image credit: sandiegouniontribune.com
Foxtail ferns are thick and tall, so they don’t always need to be front and center. Instead, put them in a planter that’s a bit out of the way and let them show their fronds indirectly.
Creativity in gardening never ends and there’s more at sandiegouniontribune.com.
Did You Like My Fern Landscaping Ideas?
I like landscaping, but in new and innovative ways — that’s the main reason why I chose ferns for my garden. They are lovely plants with many colors, shapes, and textures, so designing with them is awesome and the fern landscaping ideas just keep on coming.
What’s idea did you like the most? Tell me in the comments below and, if you think your friends would find this list useful, please share it with them and spread the creative ideas!
Thanks so much. Yes I did enjoy the beautiful ideas you gave. I’m trying to enhance my retaining wall that has elephant ears and Kimberly ferns. I can see my inspiration happening. Your the best. Mollie